Skip to Content
Today Open today 10–11 members | 11–5 public

  • Mon 11–5
  • Tue–Wed Closed
  • Thu 11–8
  • Fri–Sun 11–5
  • The first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member-only viewing.

The Genius of Castiglione

A work made of etching in black on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of etching in black on ivory laid paper.

Date:

1645–47, published 1648

Artist:

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (Italian, 1609-1664)
published by Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi (Italian, 1627–1691)

About this artwork

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.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione

Title

The Genius of Castiglione

Place

Italy (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Published 1648

Medium

Etching in black on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

37 × 24.2 cm (14 5/8 × 9 9/16 in.)

Credit Line

The Joseph Brooks Fair Collection

Reference Number

1941.128

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/40826/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.
Learn more

Image actions

Share

Suggested Terms