CASTIGLIONE, GIOVANNI BENEDETTO (1616 T670), called in Italy I1 Grechetto, and in France Le Benedette, Italian painter of the Genoese school, was born in Genoa, and studied for some time under Vandyck. He painted portraits, historical pieces and landscapes, but chiefly excelled in fairs, markets and rural scenes with animals. Noah and the animals entering the Ark was a favourite subject. He also executed a number of etchings, which earned for Castiglione the name of "a second Rembrandt." "Diogenes searching for a Man" is one of the principal of these. The Presepio (nativity of Jesus) in the church of San Luca, Genoa, ranks among his most celebrated paintings, the Louvre contains eight characteristic examples, and works of his are also to be found in Rome, Venice, Naples, Flor ence, Genoa and Mantua. In his closing years he lived in Mantua, painting for the court, and died there in 1670. His brother Salva tore and his son Francesco excelled in the same subjects.