Guercino (Giovanni Franceso Barbieri ) (1591-1666) A landscape
with bridge and figures c.1625, pen and ink
Guercino's landscapes belong to the tradition of Bolognese romanticism rather than Roman classicism in that there is no grand narrative present in his works, as we see in this drawing; rather they are simple and pleasant scenes from everyday life.
Guercino used the simplistic technique of leaving large areas of the paper bare to create light and space. The areas of untouched paper then have the effect of open space and light. This is definitely the case in this work as the large sky gives the landscape a sense of continuing on for miles into the very distant (and faint) horizon.
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