Woman with child riding an ass, a young man walking alongside, ca. 1635 – ca. 1640

About the Work

At first sight the composition recalls scenes of the Holy Family on the Flight to Egypt, but it contains not the slightest religious allusion. Here Castiglione employed an unconventional technique he had presumably developed himself: He dampened the brush with flaxseed oil before dipping it into the pigment. Upon the application of the brush to the paper, the latter absorbed the oil, causing the edges of the brushstrokes to blur slightly. The paint varies between transparent and opaque, creating a special effect.