Valerio Castello - The Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist

Valerio Castello (1624October 1659) born in

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

, was an Italian painter of the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

period and one of the pre-eminent Ligurian painters of his time. His art drew inspiration from a wide range of sources. He painted on canvas and fresco.Maria Clelia Galassi and Federica Lamera. "Castello (ii)." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.

Life

He was the youngest son of

Bernardo Castello Bernardo Castello (or Castelli) (1557–1629) was an Italian painter of the late-Mannerist style, active mainly in Genoa and Liguria. He is mainly known as a portrait and historical painter.He needs to be distinguished from Giovanni Battista Ca ...

, who died when Valerio was six years old. Valerio and his brothers were attached to the noble family of Torquato. While it had been the original intention for him to study a literate profession, he showed an affinity to drawing. This was noted by his patrons, who arranged his apprenticeship with

Domenico Fiasella Domenico Fiasella (12 August 1589 – 19 October 1669) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, mainly active in Genoa. He was nicknamed Il Sarzana, after his birthplace of Sarzana nera Genoa. Biography He was the son of Giovanni Fiasella, a ...

. Later he studied with Giovanni Andrea de’ Ferrari. To seek new inspiration, he travelled to Milan and then to Parma, probably between 1640 and 1645. In Milan he admired the work of Camillo Proccacini. From there, he traveled to

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

. He excelled in painting battle-scenes. He was also quite prolific within Genoa during his short life. He painted the ''Rape of the Sabines'', now in the Palazzo Brignole Sale,

, and decorated the cupola of the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato in the same city. For the house of Francesco Maria Balbi, he collaborated with the quadraturista from Bologna, Andrea Sghizzi to fresco the palace. In his works he is regarded by his admirers as combining the fire of

Tintoretto Jacopo Robusti (late September or early October 1518Bernari and de Vecchi 1970, p. 83.31 May 1594), best known as Tintoretto ( ; , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school. His contemporaries both admired and criticized th ...

with the general style of

Paolo Veronese Paolo Caliari (152819 April 1588), known as Paolo Veronese ( , ; ), was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, known for extremely large history paintings of religion and mythology, such as ''The Wedding at Cana (Veronese), The Wedding ...

. Castello influenced the work of young

Domenico Piola Domenico Piola (1627 – 8 April 1703) was a Genoese painter of the Baroque period. He was the leading artist in Genoa in the second half of the 17th century, working on ceiling frescoes for many Genoese churches and palaces and canvas paintin ...

. He also admired the work of

Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (; ; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Flemish Baroque painting, Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Spanish Netherlands and Italy. The seventh child of ...

, who had spent a long time in Genoa and whose paintings could be seen all over the city. Among his pupils were

Bartolomeo Biscaino Bartolomeo Biscaino (1632–1657) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active in his native Genoa. Life He was the son, and pupil, of Giovanni Andrea Biscaino. He afterwards became a pupil of Valerio Castello. His career was cut short ...

, Giovanni Paolo Cervetto, and Stefano Magnasco (the father of Alessandro).

References

Sources

*Camillo Manzitti, ''Valerio Castello'', Turin, 2004. 2nd edition 2008. *Camillo Manzitti, ''Valerio Castello'', Genoa, 1972. *''Valerio Castello 1624-1659 Genio Moderno'', Catalogue of the exhibition curated by Marzia Cataldi Gallo, Luca Leoncini, Camillo Manzitti, Daniele Sanguinetti, Ginevra-Milano, 2008. *Raffaele Soprani, ''Le Vite de Pittori, Scoltori et Architetti Genovesi'', Giuseppe Bottaro e Gio Battista Tiboldi Compagni, Genoa, 1674. Pagine 231–236. *Raffaello Soprani
Vite de Pittori, Scultori ed Architetti Genovesi
Second edition, volume I: revised and expanded by Carlo Giuseppe Ratti, Stamperia Casamara, dalle Cinque Lampadi, con licenza de superiori, Genova, 1768. Pagine 339–350. *Giuseppe Ginori
Serie degli uomini i più illustri nella pittura, scultura, e architettura...
1773.

External links

1624 births 1659 deaths 17th-century Italian painters Italian male painters Painters from Genoa Italian Baroque painters Italian battle painters {{Italy-painter-17thC-stub