\paperw4500 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 Italian painter.\par
In 1607, after receiving instruction from a local painter, Guercino entered the studio of Benedetto Gennari, ano
ther artist from Cento. Under the influence of the paintings and drawings of the Carracci, and of Ludovico in particular, Guercino began to develop a style of his own that captured the attention of Father Antonio Mirandola, thus earning him a series of c
ommissions at Cento. In 1616 the artist founded the first Academy of the Nude in his hometown. Between 1617 and 1618 he worked in Bologna for Archbishop Alessandro Ludovisi. The following year he made a journey to Venice. Between 1619 and 1620 he was wor
king in Ferrara at the court of the Gonzaga, where he saw RubensÆ works. In 1620 the artist completed his first public work, the altarpiece depicting \i Saint William Taking the Habit\i0 (Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna). In 1621 he moved to Rome, where h
e came into direct contact with the studio of the Carracci and with the Bolognese residents of the city. The years between 1622 and 1623 were the most prolific of his career. During this period, he painted the frescoes of \i Aurora and Fama\i0 for the C
asino Ludovisi, as well as the huge canvas for St. PeterÆs depicting the \i Burial and Assumption of Saint Petronilla\i0 , which is now in the Pinacoteca Capitolina. The death of Gregory XV Ludovisi, his patron, coincided with the artistÆs return to his
homeland. In 1642 he moved to Bologna, where he assumed the role of head of the local school of painting, that had been left vacant on the death of Guido Reni. The painterÆs studio, organized as a true business venture, carried out the numerous commissio
ns that the artist was unable to fulfil on his own.
