Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione was born in Genoa in 1609. His turbulent life took him throughout Italy – to Rome, Naples, Venice, Mantua and elsewhere – and he was thus exposed to every nuance of artistic style at the height of the Baroque.

Castiglione had all the natural skills to have been one of the most celebrated artists of his age. He was a talented painter, an accomplished printmaker, and a dazzling draughtsman – but his violent and erratic character ultimately thwarted his ambitions. This exhibition, drawn from the unparalleled holdings of Castiglione’s work in the Royal Collection, aims to restore his reputation as one of the finest graphic artists of the seventeenth century.

We follows Castiglione’s life through his drawings and a rare, newly identified painting. Then, we examine his graphic work in different media, including his highly distinctive drawings in oil paint on paper and his innovative hybrid technique of monotype, and gives an opportunity to see the recent BBC4 documentary on his life and art.