The Scuderie del Quirinale hosts an extraordinary exhibition dedicated to Guercino, exploring his Roman period linked to the powerful Ludovisi family. This exhibition, which will continue until January 26, 2025, presents 122 works from 68 national and international museums and collections, ranging from small drawings to large altarpieces. Thanks to the meticulous work of curators Raffaella Morselli and Caterina Volpi, a significant phase in the history of art is highlighted.

The project began in 2019 with an in-depth study of a Guercino oil painting located on the ceiling of the Casino dell’Aurora. This private venue, closed for years due to a failed sale attempt, will be accessible to the public on weekends starting November 9, thanks to a ticket that includes a guided tour of the Scuderie.

The focus of the exhibition ‘Guercino. The Ludovisi Era in Rome’ is the link between Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, known as Guercino, and the Bolognese dynasty that first welcomed him to his hometown. Impressed by the painter’s talent for using color and depicting nature, the Ludovisi family chose him as their trusted artist during the brief but prolific pontificate of Pope Gregory XV, Alessandro Ludovisi. Guercino then returned to Cento with great prestige and numerous commissions after his stay in Rome.

The exhibition illustrates how Guercino entered the capital’s great artistic projects with surprising freshness, despite his origins in a small town. Raffaella Morselli describes his work as an invasion of Rome with vibrant colors and landscapes never seen before. The artist’s distinctive technique consisted of mixing colors directly on the canvas, visible in works such as “The Capture of Christ,” which is preserved in excellent condition, so much so that it reveals the imprints left by the color itself.

This exhibition not only celebrates Guercino’s art but also offers a fascinating insight into the culture and artistic patronage of the Roman Baroque period.