In this work, Castiglione, Rembrandt's light and airy Italian contemporary, offers a stunning portrait of an older man with a long beard. One of Castiglione's larger works, this piece is an illustration of Castiglione's lively handling of the etching needle that produced rich textures and a range of dark tonalities for which he was revered. This piece is particularly notable for the wide array of textures depicted - from the feather, to the fur, to the subject's beard, Castiglione successfully hints at a variety of textures. Castiglione sought to create not only a portrait, but an assessment of his subject's character using the Renaissance science of physiognomy in which the temperament and other characteristic qualities of the mind could be discerned based on a careful inspection of facial features. Using a myriad of organized zig zags, scribbles, and cross hatchings, Castiglione summons a sense of who this subject is, not just what he looks like. With his hooked nose, long face, and ample beard, this subject appears as a wise elder of sufficient social standing, donning a richly decorated hat.

This original etching is signed in the plate in the upper right with the artist's monogram followed by the inscription 'Castilione.' It is from the first and only state and belongs to the series known as the "Large Studies of Heads in Oriental Headdress."

DOCUMENTED AND ILLUSTRATED IN:
1. Bartsch. The Illustrated Bartsch Vol. 46 Part 1. Edited by Paolo Bellini. New York: Abaris Books, 1981. Illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 48 (32) on pg. 51.
2. Bartsch. The Illustrated Bartsch Vol 46 Part 2. Edited by Paolo Bellini. New York: Abaris Books, 1981. Illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 48 (32) on pg. 57.

ABOUT THE FRAMING:
Framed to archival museum grade conservation standards, this piece is framed in a complementary moulding with silk mats and optical grade Plexiglas.