Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
1646
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
The Bodies of Saints Peter and Paul Hidden in the Catacombs is a 1646 ink by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a dark, tangled scene with two figures buried under rough, twisted branches and rocks. The ground looks uneven, like roots and vines are fighting their way up. Light barely cuts through the thicket, making the figures hard to see clearly. The artist used fine, scratchy lines to create texture, almost like the image was drawn with a sharp tool. The title says these are saints hidden in catacombs, but you’d never guess it from the messy, shadowy look. Next, check out the technique: etching to see how artists like this made such detailed prints.
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (baptized 23 March 1609 – 5 May 1664) was an Italian Baroque painter, printmaker and draftsman, of the Genoese school.
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