Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
1638
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Young Shepherd on Horseback is a 1638 ink by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a young rider on horseback, sitting sideways in the saddle. The horse is calm, its reins loose, while the rider holds a stick or staff. Tall trees and bushes fill the background, drawn with quick, scratchy lines. The whole scene looks like it was made with a pen or needle, leaving dark marks on light paper. The artist used a technique that lets them press lines into the metal plate before inking it—this is how the texture works. It’s part of a style that loved drama and movement, even in small sketches. Look up etching to see how artists like this made marks with acid and needles.
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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