Open IIIF manifest What is IIIF IIIF viewers

Preaching of Saint John the Baptist

Maker

(artist)
1609-1664

Title

Date of Production

1655

Medium

brush and red earth pigment mixed with binding medium (turpentine or oil?), blue oil paint probably on a lead white base on laid paper

Dimensions

Height: 39.7 cm
Width: 28.2 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.3739

Mode of Acquisition

Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

Label Text

In his graphic work, the Genoese artist Castiglione was one of the most technically adventurous of his time, inventing the monotype print, and drawing on paper with a brush and oil-based pigment, as in this study. His singular style is characterised by fluid, broken contours and massed shading formed by broad parallel hatching. Elements of the composition, notably the elongated figure of the Baptist and the donkey, viewed from the front, recur in other works by the artist.

Notes

The subject is also treated by Castiglione in drawings in Venice and Windsor, and in a painting at Chatsworth.

Provenance

Frances Louisa Evans; purchased from her by Colnaghi (London), 2 June 1945; purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), 29 June 1945, for £32; Witt Bequest 1952

Exhibition History

Baroque Brilliance. The draughtsmanship of Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, Kunsthaus Zurich, 10/12/2021-06/03/2022

The Witt Collection - Four centuries of drawings, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 03/04/2004-20/06/2004

Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 16/10/1991-19/01/1992 ...More

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 01/09/1971-01/11/1971

Italian Drawings of the 17th and 18th Centuries from the Witt
Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/03/1971-01/04/1971

Master Drawings from the Witt and Courtauld Collections, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, 17/11/1962-22/12/1962

Drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1958-59

Drawings from the Witt Collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art, St James's Square, London; York City Art Gallery; Peterborough Art Gallery, 1953

catalogue untraced, Eton College, 1950 ...Less

Literature

Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1991
cat. no. 21
pp. 50, 176
ill. on p. 51

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1971
cat. no. 97

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, master draughtsman of the Italian Baroque, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1971
p. 116, no. 97; p. 120, under no. 107
no. 97 ...More

Anthony Blunt and Philip Troutman, Master Drawings from the Witt and Courtauld Collections, 1962
cat. no. 76

Drawings from the Witt Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1958 - 1959
cat. no. 18

'Rassegna bibliografica' in 'Emporium', August 1954 - 94
ill. on p. 95

Drawings from the Witt Collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art, St James's Square, London, York City Art Gallery and Peterborough Art Gallery, 1953
cat. no. 49
pl. II ...Less

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: upper centre: three stacked circles topped by a small crown, upper circle probably contains a cross, middle contains letters, "AO" or "OA" (no match found in Briquet, Piccard, Heawood or Churchill).

Inscription: i34

Inscription: Castiglione: / Original Sketches in / Turpentine - considered / curious by Late Mr West. //

Collector's mark: collector's mark of Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b)

Information on this object may be incomplete and will be updated as research progresses. We are particularly committed to addressing any discriminatory or offensive language and ideas that might be present in our records. To help improve this record, and to enquire about images of The Courtauld Gallery Collection, please email gallery.collectionsonline@courtauld.ac.uk. Find out more about using and licensing our images.

____________________________

Buy a print from our collection