(Genoa 1624–1659)
Putti preparing arrows,
oil on canvas, 88.5 x 111.5 cm, framed

Provenance:
with Galleria Ribolzi, Montecarlo;
European private collection

Literature:
C. Manzitti, Valerio Castello, Turin 2004, p. 78, no. 6

This strikingly original painting, published for the first time by Manzitti in his revised catalogue of Valerio Castello in 2004, is a fine example of the graceful lyricism that characterized the work of the artist at the beginning of 1640s. The dynamic composition is crowded with figures of cupids, depicted in various positions and all very close to the picture plane. The putti appear to be inspired by the work of Perin del Vaga, such as the exuberant cupids painted by Perino in the lunettes of the Loggia degli Eroi in Palazzo Doria in Genoa, or the two angels in the altarpiece of the church of San Giorgio in Genoa-Bavari.

The composition also reveals the impact of Valerio’s time in Parma, where he had studied Correggio’s frescoes in the church of San Giovanni Evangelista and the works of Parmigianino. Under the influence of Parmigianino, and with his images of refined elegance, Castello developed his original personal style, as can be seen in the present work. As has been noted by Manzitti, the extraordinary coiffures invented by Parmigianino inspired the whimsical golden curls of the cupids in the present painting, a figure type which frequently reappeared throughout Castello’s career.

The present painting displays the spontaneous touch and a palette vibrant with pinks, blues and yellows typical of the artist’s work in this period: executed in a sketchy style, realized with very light, rapid and energetic brushstrokes that define the figures.

A preparatory drawing for this composition is in Buenos Aires (Museo de Bellas Artes, n. 627; pen, brown ink and watercolour on blue paper, 165 x 226 mm) (Manzitti 2004, p. 244, cat. D6). The drawing is inscribed on the verso “Valerio Castello” and “Castiglione, scolare di Giulio Romano”, and there is also a female head on the verso.