Salvatore Castiglione (1620–1676)—brother of Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (aka
Il Grechetto) (1609–1664)
Regarding the attribution of the artist who executed this
etching, the Curator of the British Museum offers the following insights:
“Always considered to be by Giovanni Benedetto until 2004,
when the correct authorship was established by Jaco Rutgers on the basis of a
very early signed impression in Turin (see 'Print Quarterly', XXI 2004,
pp.163-4). He also notes that Bellini's state descriptions for this series are
in the reverse order to the truth. For a third state wiith extra hatching, see
Mathew Norman, Print Quarterly, XXX 2013, p.318.” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_W-6-19)
“Head of an Old Man with Beard” (Rijksmuseum title) (aka “Bearded
Old Man Wearing Shoulder-Length Headdress, Facing Right” [TIB title]; “Un
vieillard à grande barbe, vu de profil …” [Bartsch title]), 1645–1650, from the
series of 16 plates (TIB 32–47), “Small Studies of Heads in Oriental Headdress”,
printed from the original plate by McCreery in his 1816 edition of “200
Etchings”.
Etching on fine China paper trimmed along the platemark (as
published for the McCreery edition) and backed with a support sheet.
Size: (sheet) 11.2 x 8.2 cm.
State ii (of ii)
TIB 46(21).36(29) (Paolo Bellini [ed.] 1982, “The
Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Masters of the Seventeenth Century”, vol 46, New
York, Abaris Books, p. 46, cat. no 36 [29]); Bellini 1982 27 (Paolo Bellini
1982, “L'Opera incisa di Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione”, Milan, Comune di
Milano, p. 112–113, cat. 27); Bartsch XXI.29.36 (Adam Bartsch 1803, “Le Peintre
Graveur”, Vienna).
The British Museum and the Rijksmuseum offer descriptions
of this print:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1871-0812-30;
http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.34972.
Condition: a well-printed impression with no sign of wear
to the printing plate, trimmed along the platemark and laid upon an
archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. The sheet is in an excellent
condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of
handling.
I am selling this superb etching by the brother of the
inventor of the monotype for AU$325 (currently US$250.43/EUR204/GBP184.21 at
the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the
world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).
If you are interested in purchasing this very beautifual
study of an elderly man’s head showing the artist’s amazing skill in suggesting
the form and silvery sheen of the man’s beard and his quiet reflective mindset
in a minimal number of strokes, please contact me
(oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make
the payment easy.
