Artist. A leader of the Bolognese school of Italian Baroque painting. His idealized religious and mythological scenes are moody and often sentimental, executed with soft lines, muted colors, and occasional defiance of perspective. He was also a fine portraitist and his likeness of tragic noblewoman Beatrice Cenci (c. 1600) is one of Rome's most visited artworks. Reni was born in Calvenzano, near Bologna. He began studying art at age nine and in 1595 joined the classical Academy of painter Annibale Carracci. In 1600 he moved to Rome, where he became acquainted with the work of Raphael, a lifelong influence. "The Crucifixion of St. Peter" (1604), an altarpiece for St. Peter's, was Reni's first important commission; it led to a sponsorship from Pope Paul V and orders for frescoes and easel paintings from many noble patrons. After Carracci's death in 1609 he settled more or less permanently in Bologna and established a very successful studio. His other notable paintings include "The Massacre of the Innocents", "The Labors of Hercules", "The Suicide of Lucrezia", and "Saint Sebastian". A pious eccentric, Reni never married and was so fearful of women he refused to hire them as servants; yet he worshipped his mother and his depictions of women are suprisingly heartfelt and warm. During his lifetime Reni was among Italy's most sought-after painters, and his work enjoyed an enormous vogue in England in the 1700s. Since then his fortunes in the art world have fluctuated and critics view him as a lesser master. Today his canvases can be seen in the Vatican Gallery, The Louvre, the National Portrait Gallery in London, and in museums throughout the world.
Artist. A leader of the Bolognese school of Italian Baroque painting. His idealized religious and mythological scenes are moody and often sentimental, executed with soft lines, muted colors, and occasional defiance of perspective. He was also a fine portraitist and his likeness of tragic noblewoman Beatrice Cenci (c. 1600) is one of Rome's most visited artworks. Reni was born in Calvenzano, near Bologna. He began studying art at age nine and in 1595 joined the classical Academy of painter Annibale Carracci. In 1600 he moved to Rome, where he became acquainted with the work of Raphael, a lifelong influence. "The Crucifixion of St. Peter" (1604), an altarpiece for St. Peter's, was Reni's first important commission; it led to a sponsorship from Pope Paul V and orders for frescoes and easel paintings from many noble patrons. After Carracci's death in 1609 he settled more or less permanently in Bologna and established a very successful studio. His other notable paintings include "The Massacre of the Innocents", "The Labors of Hercules", "The Suicide of Lucrezia", and "Saint Sebastian". A pious eccentric, Reni never married and was so fearful of women he refused to hire them as servants; yet he worshipped his mother and his depictions of women are suprisingly heartfelt and warm. During his lifetime Reni was among Italy's most sought-after painters, and his work enjoyed an enormous vogue in England in the 1700s. Since then his fortunes in the art world have fluctuated and critics view him as a lesser master. Today his canvases can be seen in the Vatican Gallery, The Louvre, the National Portrait Gallery in London, and in museums throughout the world.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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