Artwork
Bearded Man in a Fur Cap, Facing Left
Bearded Man in a Fur Cap, Facing Left is an ink print by the Baroque artist Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione. It dates from 1646 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Bearded Man in a Fur Cap, Facing Left is an etching on laid paper created by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione around 1646. This black-and-white portrait depicts a bearded man wearing a large, bushy fur cap, his face turned slightly away from the viewer.
Subject & Meaning
The subject of the etching is a unidentified bearded man captured in a informal, profiled pose. The work's meaning is not explicitly stated, but it reflects Castiglione's broader interest in portraiture within his diverse practice.
Technique & Style
Castiglione employed etching techniques to create loose, scratchy strokes defining the man's beard and cap. The etching process, which involves ink sitting in plate grooves, resulted in a grainy, fuzzy effect on the textured, laid paper.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1646 by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, a Genoese Baroque artist known for innovating monotyping. His oeuvre includes portraits, history paintings, landscapes, and notably, animal scenes like Noah’s Ark.
Context
This etching sits within the broader context of 17th-century Baroque printmaking. Castiglione's work, while part of the Genoese school, also shows his experimentation with techniques that would later influence monotyping.
Legacy
While Bearded Man in a Fur Cap, Facing Left is not highlighted as a seminal work, it contributes to Castiglione's legacy as a versatile Baroque artist and a pioneer in printmaking techniques, notably the invention of monotyping.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (baptized 23 March 1609 – 5 May 1664) was an Italian Baroque painter, printmaker and draftsman, of the Genoese school.
