Personalities Castiglione, Giovanni Benedetto (Il Gercetto)

Italian painter, draftsman and etcher. Master of the Genoese school. His art developed under the influence of famous masters: J. Bassano, P. P. Rubens, F. Snyders, B. Strozzi, A. Van Dyck and several less known artists. He studied in Genoa at J. B. Paji and J. A. de Ferrari. He was influenced by the Masters of the Flemish school. In 1632–1640, he stayed in Rome, where he met N. Poussin and P. Testa. He worked in Genoa, Venice, Rome. From 1651 he held the post of painter at the court of Duke Charles II Gonzaga in Mantua. He is credited with inventing the technique of monotyping. Castiglione was especially famous for his etchings, due to which he was named "the second Rembrandt".