The exhibition “Guercino. The Ludovisi era in Rome” represents a rare opportunity to discover the profound link between the art of the seventeenth century and the cultural dynamism of the Ludovisi era. Distributed among the prestigious Quirinale stables and the splendid Casino dell’Aurora in Villa Ludovisithe exhibition focuses on the short, but intense, Roman period of the artist from Cento, known for the dramatic force of his style and the sensitivity of his pictorial line. The event proposes a chronological path that reconstructs the interactions between Guercino, born Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, and the Ludovisi family, in particular under the pontificate of Gregory XV, with particular attention to the connections between art and power.
The exhibition starts from the famous Aurora, a fresco commissioned by the Ludovisi and one of Guercino’s first Roman works, which in this phase seems to merge elements of Po Valley naturalism with typically Roman idealism. The works on display include over 120 masterpieces, some of which come from prestigious Italian and international collectionswithout the usual exchange between institutions. Among these we can mention the majestic “Original Sin” by Domenichino, the “Crucifixion” destined for the Basilica of Reggio Emilia and a series of portraits of Pope Ludovisi, where Guercino’s style emerges due to the intimate and familiar touch. The artist, without official commissions, exploited the short Roman period with intelligence and agility, leaving an indelible mark on the capital.
The exhibition itinerary allows us to observe the syncretism of his art, capable of adapting to Roman taste and the influences of his contemporaries, while maintaining that “natural power” that characterizes it. Thus, visitors can admire the genius of his pictorial technique, from the refinement of the small works on paper to the monumentality of the altarpieces, perceiving the aesthetic and conceptual comparison with figures such as Guido Reni.
