Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (Italian, 1609-1664)
published by Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi (Italian, 1627–1691)
The Genius of Castiglione
INV-4082
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (Italian, 1609-1664)
published by Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi (Italian, 1627–1691)1645–47, published 1648
The Genius of Castiglione
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (Italian, 1609-1664) published by Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi (Italian, 1627–1691) →etchingprint
Date
1645–47, published 1648
Medium
Etching in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
37 × 24.2 cm (14 5/8 × 9 9/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
The Joseph Brooks Fair Collection
Reflecting on his own prolific creativity, Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione creates a rich allegory. Fame is personified as a reclining half-nude male youth holding a trumpet. In the upper left, a winged infant blows a horn and points to a crown of laurel leaves, a symbol of immortality. Futility (foul and rabbit) and artistic creativity (pallet, brushes, and sheet music) are at Fame’s feet.
Heralded as one of the most creative etchers in Italy, Castiglione was inspired by Dutch artists’ work, particularly the etchings of Rembrandt van Rijn, whose prints were imported from Amsterdam to Genoa by Dutch dealers.