- NameGiovanni Francesco Barbieri Guercino
- Activity/Titlepainter, draughtsman
- Sexmale
- Variant namesGiovanni Francesco Barbieri
Il Guercino
- Nationality/DatesItalian, born 1591-02-02, dead 1666-12-22
- PlacesPlace of birth: Cento, Italien
Place of death: Bologna, Italien
BiographyGuercino was born in Cento, near Bologna,
where he was initially apprenticed to Benedetto
Gennari (1633‒1715). He later moved to Bologna
and was greatly influenced by the work of the
Carracci, especially perhaps that of Ludovico.
He was called to Rome by the commissions he
received from Pope Gregory XV (1554‒1623). Between
1621 and 1623 he executed frescoes for the
casino of the Villa Ludovisi and the altarpiece of
the Burial of St Petronilla in the Vatican, today in
the Musei Capitolini. After the death of Gregory
XV, Guercino returned to Cento, where he established
a successful workshop. From 1629 onwards
he and his brother kept an account book of their
work, which is therefore very well documented.
In 1642 he relocated his workshop to Bologna and
soon received numerous commissions. Guercino
was prolific and mastered a wide variety of genres
and subjects. In the 20th century Guercino’s work
received renewed attention, primarily through
Denis Mahon’s pioneering research on the artist.
Today he is considered one of the foremost exponents
of the Bologna school.