Artwork
Theseus Finding Aegeus' Arms
Theseus Finding Aegeus' Arms is an ink print by the Baroque artist Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione. It dates from 1645 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower center in plate: Gio Bened.to CASTIlone in. p; lower right in plate: Io Jac.mo ROssi form. Roma 1542 alla Pace
About this work
Overview
Theseus Finding Aegeus' Arms is an etching on laid paper created by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, an Italian artist known as Il Grechetto, around 1645. The work is part of the National Gallery of Art's collection in Washington.
Subject & Meaning
The etching depicts a dramatic scene by a rocky shore, where one figure kneels, holding a sword with a cloth-wrapped hilt, while another stands, reacting with shock and recognition. The image conveys a story of identity revealed through an object, referencing the mythological tale of Theseus and Aegeus.
Technique & Style
Castiglione employed etching, a technique involving intricate lines carved into metal plates, to create the work. As a skilled printmaker and innovator of the monotyping technique, he brought a high level of detail and expressiveness to the image, characteristic of the Baroque style.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
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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