Guercino, Il

(Italian: “The Squinter”)

(born Feb. 8, 1591, Cento, Papal States—died Dec. 22, 1666, Bologna) Italian painter. Strongly influenced by the Bolognese school, he was called to Rome in 1621 by the Bolognese pope Gregory XV and, among other commissions, decorated the Villa Ludovisi; the ceiling fresco Aurora is painted to appear as if there were no ceiling, so that Aurora's chariot is seen to float directly over the building. He returned to his native town of Cento in 1623. In 1642, upon the death of Guido Reni, he moved to Bologna and was its leading painter until his death. One of the outstanding draftsmen of his age, he had a profound impact on the development of 17th-century Baroque decoration.

Find more information on Guercino, Il. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Guercino, Il.