Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione's etching, “Head of a Young Man with Open Mouth”, 1645/50

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (aka Il Grechetto) (1609–1664)

“Head of a Young Man with Open Mouth” (Rijksmuseum title [transl.]) (aka “Man Wearing a Small Turban and a Tie Fastened Around His Neck” (TIB title); “Un homme sans barbe, bu de profil …” [Bartsch title]), c1645/50, from the series of 16 plates (TIB 32–47), “Small Studies of Heads in Oriental Headdress”.

Etching on fine laid paper with a small margin around the plate mark.

Size: (sheet) 11.5 x 8.7 cm; (plate) 11 x 8.2 cm.

Inscribed on plate at upper left: “GB [entwined] / Castilione / Genovese”.

Lifetime impression (based on the crisp quality of line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate).

TIB 46(21). 41(30) (Paolo Bellini [ed.] 1982, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Masters of the Seventeenth Century”, vol 46, New York, Abaris Books, p. 48, cat. no 41); Bellini 1982 32 (Paolo Bellini 1982, “L'Opera incisa di Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione”, Milan, Comune di Milano, p. 122, cat. no. 32); Bartsch XXI.30.41 (Note that Bartsch has the same cat. no. as “Young Man with His Head Lowered” that I have listed earlier).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print :

“Head looking down to left with open mouth. c.1645/50 Etching”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1447492&partId=1&people=129837&peoA=129837-2-60&page=1)

See also the description of this print at the Rijksmuseum:

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.34977

Condition: richly inked, crisp and well-printed/faultless impression in excellent condition, with a small margin (approx. 2 mm) around the plate mark.

I am selling this superb etching by the artist argued to be the inventor of the monotype for AU$353 (currently US$241.65/EUR218.98/GBP196.83 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 arresting study that the Rijksmuseum proposes is “inspired by similar etchings by Rembrandt and Lievens” (see RP-P-OB-12.181), please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold