Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609-1664), also known as ‘Il Grechetto’, was an Italian draughtsman and pioneering experimenter in graphic art and printmaking.
This innovative master, whose graphic works bear the influence of Rembrandt van Rhijn (1606-1669), invented the monotype technique in the 17th century. His painterly brush drawings in oils were an important source of inspiration for other artists.
He embodies everything that makes the Baroque so fascinating: its celebration of the artistic brilliance, opulent magnificence and a striving to enrapture the viewer’s senses.
The exhibition of some 80 works is the first monographic presentation of Castiglione’s graphic oeuvre in a German-speaking country.