Valerio Castello

Valerio Castello, The Apparition of the Madonna of the Misericordia to Antonio Blow

Valerio Castello (1624 – October 1659) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. He was very active during his short life in Genoa.

He was the youngest son of Bernardo Castello, who died when Valerio was six year old. Valerio and his brothers were attached to the noble family of Torquato, and while he had been intended to study a literate profession, he showed an affinity to drawing. This was noted by his patrons, who arranged his apprenticeship with Domenico Fiasella. He arranged to travel to Milan with Agostino Merano, the sibling of Giovanni Battista Merano, where he admired the work of Camillo Proccacini. From there, he traveled to Parma.

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, Genoa, 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 with the general style of Paolo Veronese. Castello influenced the work of young Domenico Piola. Among his pupils were Bartolomeo Biscaino, Giovanni Paolo Cervetto, and Stefano Magnasco.

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
• Camillo Manzitti, Valerio Castello, Torino, 2004. Seconda edizione 2008.
• Camillo Manzitti, Valerio Castello, Genova, 1972.
• Valerio Castello 1624-1659 Genio Moderno, catalogo della mostra a cura di 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, con licenza de superiori, Genova, 1674. Pagine 231-236
• Raffaello Soprani, Carlo Giuseppe Ratti (a cura di), Vite de Pittori, Scultori ed Architetti Genovesi; In questa seconda Edizione rivedute, accresciute ed arricchite di note da Carlo Giuseppe Ratti Tomo Primo, 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 (digitalizzato da Google)

There is a painting at the Norton Art Museum in West Palm Beach,Florida by Valerio Castello("Diana and Acteaon with Pan and Syrinx")