GIOVANNI BENEDETTO CASTIGLIONE (1609-1669)

In the past this etching has been interpreted as a depiction of Melancholy, including by Adam Bartsch, but more recent scholars seem to agree on the identification of the figure as the sorceress Circe. Although there is no drawing or painting in the artist's oeuvre relating directly to this print, Castiglione treated this subject repeatedly in different mediums, including in a rapid sketch at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (inv. no. 1984-56-39), a drawing in the Royal Collection, Windsor (inv. no. 904067), and a number of paintings, including one version in the Uffizi, Florence.