Self-Portrait(?), Wearing a Plumed Cap ["Portrait of Bernini"]

Castiglione employed etching with vigorous, fluid lines to capture texture and form, emphasizing the plume’s movement and the cap’s woolen surface. His handling of tone through varied line density reflects his experimental approach to printmaking. The background is left largely unworked, focusing attention on the head and hat, a compositional choice that heightens the portrait’s immediacy and psychological presence.

The print emerged in the mid-17th century within Castiglione’s circle of collectors and fellow artists. Early records associate it with Italian and French collections, reflecting his reputation across borders. Its attribution as a self-portrait solidified in the 19th century, though modern scholarship treats the label with caution. The work survives in several institutional holdings, primarily in Europe and North America.

In 1640s Italy, printmaking was increasingly valued as an independent art form, not merely a reproductive medium. Castiglione, known as Il Grechetto, stood apart for his inventive techniques and expressive subjects. This etching aligns with broader trends in Baroque portraiture that favored psychological nuance and individuality, even as it diverges from formal conventions through its informal, almost intimate framing.

Though not widely reproduced in his lifetime, this etching contributed to Castiglione’s posthumous reputation as a daring printmaker. It exemplifies his ability to merge painterly sensibility with graphic precision. Later artists and collectors admired its vitality, influencing 18th-century approaches to the portrait print, particularly in its emphasis on character over idealization.