Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609–1664)
God Creating the Animals
Oil on canvas
101 ¼ x 117 ¼ ( 258 x 298 cm.)
Private collection
Myths of creation occur in Mesopotamian and Canaanite literature and it is from these bodies of literature that the Old Testament book of Genesis derived some of its motifs surrounding the acts of creation. Genesis contains an account of eight works of creation that were actually spread over six days, the first four of which are known as the Works of Division and the second as the Works of Ornamentation. The subject of Castiglione's painting, God's Creation of the Animals, took place on the sixth day, when the creation of man also took place. The subject of the creation was extremely popular during the High Renaissance and was treated on a monumental scale by both Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel and Raphael in the Vatican Logge. More on this painting
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (baptized 23 March 1609 – 5 May 1664) was an Italian Baroque painter, printmaker and draftsman, of the Genoese school. He is best known now for his etchings, and as the inventor of the printmaking technique of monotyping. He was known as Il Grechetto in Italy and in France as Le Benédette.
Attributed to Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
ABRAHAM’S JOURNEY TO CANAAN WITH HIS PEOPLE
Oil on canvas. Relined
106 x 131 cm.
Genesis 12:5; Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan.
From Ur, Abraham traveled 700 miles to the borders of present-day Iraq, another 700 miles into Syria, another 800 down to Egypt by the inland road, and then back into Canaan. More on Abraham's journey
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
The Departure of Abraham to Canaan
Oil on canvas
150 x 173.5 cm
Private collection
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609–1664)
Journey of Rebecca, circa 1637
Oil on canvas
Height: 63 mm (2.48 in); Width: 70.90 mm (2.79 in)
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Abraham went about finding a wife for his son Isaac. He commanded his servant to journey to his birthplace of Aram Naharaim to select a bride from his own family, rather than engage Isaac to a local Canaanite girl. Abraham sent along expensive jewelry, clothing and dainties as gifts to the bride and her family.
The servant devised a test in order to find the right wife for Isaac. As he stood at the central well in Abraham's birthplace with his men and ten camels laden with goods, he prayed to God: "And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also" — Genesis 24:14
To his surprise, a young girl immediately came out and offered to draw water for him to drink, as well as water to fill the troughs for all his camels. Rebecca continued to draw water until all the camels were sated, proving her kind and generous nature and her suitability for entering Abraham's household. The servant immediately gave her a golden nose ring and two golden bracelets. After hosting the party overnight, however, the family tried to keep Rebecca with them longer. The servant insisted that they ask the girl herself, and she agreed to go immediately.
As Rebecca and her entourage approached Abraham's home, they spied Isaac from a distance in the fields praying. Seeing such a spiritually exalted man, Rebecca immediately dismounted from her camel and asked the accompanying servant who he was. When she heard that this was her future husband, she modestly covered herself with a veil. Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, married her, and loved her. More on Rebecca
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609–1664)
Rebecca Led by the Servant of Abraham, c. about 1650
Oil on canvas
150 x 194.5 cm
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham
Rebecca, on a horse, makes the journey to meet her future husband Isaac. She turns to address Abraham’s servant. According to the Old Testament story, he was guided by God to find a wife for his master’s son in a distant land. The composition carefully places the viewer amongst the travellers. The Genoese artist Castiglione specialised in painting animal subjects, particularly those which included journeys. More on this painting
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
Jacob's Journey into Egypt
Oil on canvas
39¼ x 58½ in. (99.5 x 148.5 cm.)
Private collection
However, by deceiving Isaac when he was old and blind, Jacob was able to usurp the blessing that belonged to Esau as the firstborn son, and become the leader of their family. Following a severe drought in his homeland Canaan, Jacob and his descendants, with the help of his son Joseph, who had since become a confidante of Pharaoh, moved to Egypt, where he died, aged 147 years, and was buried in the Cave of Machpelah. More on this painting
Castiglione was born in Genoa. His early training is unclear. He may have studied with Sinibaldo Scorza. He is described as a "passionate student" of Anthony van Dyck, and Peter Paul Rubens. He lived in Rome from 1634 to about 1645, then returned to Genoa. He also traveled to Florence and Naples. He was back in Rome in 1647, before moving in 1651 to be a court artist in Mantua for Duke Carlo II and his wife Isabella Chiara de Austria. He died in Mantua.
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, called Il Grechetto
The Pagan Sacrifice
Oil on canvas
43.2 x 77.4 cm.; 17 x 30 1/2 in.
Private collection
An array of figures presents various offerings to an idol that stands on a pedestal strewn with animals and precious vessels. This painting is manifest in innumerable details: the damask curtain at the upper left; the russet touches that animate the lips and eyes of the black man making a food offering; the thick application of paint in the brazier, which creates an impression of white hot flames, deftly dissolving into thin veils to render smoke. More on this painting
"Castiglione was also a violent and impetuous man, who was repeatedly in court for assault, allegedly attempted to throw his sister off a roof and was forced to leave Rome, probably after committing murder. The turbulence that characterised his life overshadowed his artistic brilliance, and Castiglione struggled to achieve recognition in his lifetime. Much of what is known about the artist is derived not from fulfilled commissions, but from court documents."The Queen's Gallery in London
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609–1664)
The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds, c.1640–1660
Oil on canvas
H 107.3 x W 160.8 cm
Birmingham Museums Trust
The Annunciation to the Shepherds, when they are summoned by an angel to the scene, is a distinct subject. More on The Adoration of the Shepherds
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609–1664)
The Adoration of the Shepherds, c. 1659
Oil on copper
Height: 68 cm (26.7 in); Width: 52 cm (20.4 in)
Louvre Museum
The Adoration of the Shepherds, in the Nativity of Jesus in art, is a scene in which shepherds are near witnesses to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, arriving soon after the actual birth. It is often combined in art with the Adoration of the Magi, in which case it is typically just referred to by the latter title. The Annunciation to the Shepherds, when they are summoned by an angel to the scene, is a distinct subject. More on The Adoration of the Shepherds
This is a reduced version with variations of a large altarpiece painted in 1645 for the church San Luca in Genoa. An inscription on the back of the copper plate indicates that it was painted in 1659.
He painted portraits, historical pieces and landscapes, but chiefly excelled in fairs, markets and rural scenes with animals. Noah's ark and the animals entering the Ark was a favorite subject of his (See below).
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (Il Grechetto) (Italian, Genoa 1609–1664 Mantua)
Noah and the animals entering the ark, ca. 1650–55
Etching
Sheet: 7 7/8 × 15 3/4 in. (20 × 40 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The entry of the animals into Noah’s ark was one of Castiglione’s favorite themes, which he painted, drew, and printed throughout his career. The story allowed the artist to depict a lively assortment of animals: pairs of deer, cows, sheep, and even guinea pigs make their way to the ark barely delineated in the far ground. A lone horse in the midst of the throng dominates the composition. This etching demonstrates a controlled use of Rembrandt-esque chiaroscuro, which creates dramatic effects through the contrast of light and shadow. More on this painting
Castiglione was a brilliant draftsman and pioneered the development of the oil sketch as a finished work - previously they had been used only for working studies for another finished piece. He returned to the same subjects over and over again, but with significantly different compositions each time.
He also executed a number of etchings. Diogenes searching for a Man is one of the principal of these; others are about religious themes. Some are moralistic stories such as that of the blind leading the blind. The etchings are remarkable for light and shade, and have even earned for Castiglione the name of a second Rembrandt. He was exposed to Rembrandt's etching by 1630. In about 1648 he invented the monotype. His most popular and influential prints were a series of exotic heads, mostly of vaguely Oriental males, but also of women. These were produced in great numbers. Among the topics of his etchings are Diogenes with his lantern, Noah leading animals into Arc (See below), St Joseph Asleep during Flight from Egypt, Circe surrounded by animals (See below), Silenus at the fountain, Nativity, Resurrection of Lazarus, and Genius of Castiglione.
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609–1664)
In Front of Noah's Ark, circa 1650
Oil on canvas
Height: 145 cm (57 in); Width: 195 cm (76.7 in)
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden, Germany
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609–1664)
Noah shepherding the animals onto the ark
Oil on canvas
135.5 x 188 cm.; 53⅜ x 74 in.
Private collection
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609–1664)
Noah's Sacrifice after the Deluge, c. May 1650
Oil on canvas
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609–1664)
Entrance of animals in Noah's ark, c. from 1650 until 1664
Oil on canvas
Height: 150 cm (59 in); Width: 221 cm (87 in)
Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609–1664)
Noah brings the animals into the Ark, c. 1609–1663 / 65.
Oil on canvas
H. 1.98; L. 2.16.
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
The Sorceress Circe, c. 1651
Oil on canvas
99 x 141 cm
Fondazione artistica Poldi Pezzoli "Onlus"
The sorceress is sitting a little apart in this painting. She is holding a wand and is surrounded by many animals since, according to Greek mythology, Circe transformed all those who came to her island into animals, as happened to some of Ulysses’ companions in the Odyssey. In the background, a two-faced herm (a statue with two heads back to back) stands on a base with reliefs: a richly decorated vase, an elaborate torch holder from which smoke is rising, and a shell can also be seen.
Several large books, an armillary sphere, a copper basin and a skull are among the many objects lying around the sorceress: they are all instruments that refer more to study and contemplation than to magic. The pose of the enchantress too, with her head in her hands, recalls images of Melancholy, generally portrayed as a pensive woman seated among books, scientific apparatus and other objects referring to learning.
Giovan Benedetto Castiglione painted the theme of Circe various times during his career. The subject was eminently suited to showing off his skills in depicting materials and diverse surfaces, such as the marble of sculptures or the feathers and fur of animals. In this mature work, Grechetto successfully combines the allegory of Melancholy with the subject of the sorceress Circe. More on this painting
Castiglione was renowned for his ability to paint animals. For example, in the painting of Jesus clearing the temple of Moneylenders (See below), the religious event is a minor, background part of the painting, the stampede of animals is far more prominent than the scattering of bankers.
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609–1664)
Christ Chasing the Moneylenders from the Temple, c. between 1645 and 1655
Oil on canvas
Height: 100 cm (39.3 in); Width: 124 cm (48.8 in)
Louvre Museum
The cleansing of the Temple narrative tells of Jesus expelling the merchants and the money changers from the Temple, and occurs in all four canonical gospels of the New Testament. The scene is a common motif in Christian art.
In this account, Jesus and his disciples travel to Jerusalem for Passover, where Jesus expels the merchants and consumers from the Temple, accusing them of turning the Temple into "a den of thieves" and "a house of trade". More on he cleansing of the Temple
In Mantua, he received his name of Grechetto, from the classic air of his pastoral depictions. In his later years, he was severely afflicted by gout. His brother Salvatore and his son Francesco excelled in the same subjects; and it is thought that many paintings which are ascribed to Benedetto are only copies after him, or perhaps originals by his son or brother.
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609–1664)
Pyrrha and Deucalion, 1655
Oil on canvas
Height: 83 cm (32.6 in); Width: 107 cm (42.1 in)
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, Germany
The story of a great flood occurs in the mythology of many races. The Greek version tells of Deucalion, son of Prometheus, who, like Noah, escaped the destruction that overtook the rest of mankind by building an ark in which he floated for nine days with his wife Pyrrha. After the waters had subsided they were advised by an oracle to veil their heads and 'throw the bones of your great mother behind you', which they took to mean the rocks of Mother Earth. They did as they were bid, the rocks which Deucalion threw turning into men and Pyrrha's into women. Thus a new human race was created. More on this painting
His paintings are to be found in Rome, Venice, Naples, Florence, and more especially Genoa and Mantua. The Presepio (Nativity of Jesus) for the church of San Luca, Genoa, ranks among his most celebrated paintings, and the Louvre contains eight characteristic examples. He painted a Mary Magdalene and Saint Catharine for the church of the Madonna di Castello and St. James defeats the Moors for the Oratorio di San Giacomo della Marina, both in Genoa. More on Giovanni Benedetto
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