b. 1632 Genoa, Italy, d. 1657 Genoa, Italy
draftsman; painter; printmaker
Italian

Bartolomeo Biscaino's life was cut short by the plague, and little is known about him. He first trained with his father, a landscape painter. In the late 1640s he entered the workshop of Valerio Castello, a painter of violent contrasts and fiery, scintillating color. Biscaino's early paintings strongly recalled his master's style, but his forms were softer, his brushstroke broader, and his choice of colors more delicate. Curving draperies and sweetness of expression typified Biscaino's manner.

Scholars often date Biscaino's his canvases on the basis of his forty catalogued etchings, and he remains best known for his drawings and prints. Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione influenced the iconography and technique of Biscaino's etchings. In his rendering of animals, figures, and naturalistic settings, and the play of light and shade, Castiglione also provided an important example for Biscaino's later paintings.