Guercino in his studio

The Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna will hold a major exhibition dedicated to the painter Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, known as Guercino. Centred on some of his most important paintings, the event will explore the various phases of his career, the success of his "atelier" and his relationships with his closest collaborators and clients. The overall aim is to shed light on the professional, artistic and entrepreneurial dynamics which characterised his prolific production.

The exhibition will feature some 20 works, including the masterpieces by Guercino held at the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna, such as the Madonna of the Sparrow (1615-1616), Saint Sebastian Cured by Saint Irene (1619), Saint William Receiving the Monastic Habit (1620) and the Madonna and Child in Glory with Saint Bruno (1647). These will be accompanied by other works by the artist and his collaborators on loan, including the Self-portrait from a private collection in Germany, the Eternal Father with a Little Angel (1620) from the Musei di Strada Nuova in Genoa, the Saint Sebastian (1619) from the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, and the Vegetable Seller Counting Her Coins, an exquisite collaborative effort between Guercino and his brother Paolo Antonio.