Guercino (Giovanni Franceso Barbieri) (1591-1666)

Barbieri became known as Il Guercino, The Squinter, after a childhood accident left him with a squint. He was born in Cento, a town 15 miles north of Bologna, close to the works of Carracci and Guido Reni.

Guercino is revered as a draughtsman and his drawings are treasured for their vitality, freshness, and the dramatic effect of light and space.

His career took off when his early patron, Cardinal Alessandro Ludovisi, was elected as Pope Gregory XV. Guercino was summoned to Rome and immediately put to work to decorate a section of St Peter's. Unfortunately, the commission was not completed as the Pope died after only two years as pontiff. However, Guercino did manage to complete an altarpiece at St Peter's before he left Rome and returned to Cento.