Reni, Guido

PAINTER (ITALY)
BORN 4 Nov 1575, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna - DIED 18 Aug 1642, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna
GRAVE LOCATION Bologna, Emilia-Romagna: Basilica di San Domenico (Rosary Chapel)

Guido Reni came from a family of musicians. He studied in Bologna with the Flemish painter Denys Calvart. There he met Francesco Albani and together they went to Rome in 1601 and they worked on the frescoe restoration of the Farnese Palace under direction of Annibale Carracci. In Rome he became one of the most important painters during the papacy of Paul V of the Borghese family.

In 1614 he returned to Bologna where he started a successful studio. In 1618 he travelled to Naples for a commission. Although his paintings were popular his financial circumstances were often stressed as a result of his gambling habits.

Reni wasn't homosexual but he was afraid of women and at a certain point he even thought that a woman's touch might poison him. Already in his own time the ascetism in his life was believed to be reflected in his art. He died in Bologna in 1642 after contracting a fever.

Images

Plaque for Elisabetta Sirani and Guido Reni at the Basilica San Domenico, Bologna.
Picture by Androom (12 Feb 2017)

 

Sources
Guido Reni - Wikipedia


Renié, Henriette

Published: 18 Nov 2018
Last update: 25 Apr 2022