born Nov. 4, 1575, Bologna, Papal States [Italy]
died Aug. 18, 1642, Bologna
early Italian Baroque painter noted for the classical idealism of his renderings
of mythological and religious subjects.
First apprenticed to the Flemish painter Denis Calvaert at the age of 10, Reni
was later influenced by the novel naturalism of the Carracci, a Bolognese family
of painters. In 1599 he was received into the guild of painters, and after 1601
he divided his time between his studios in Bologna and Rome. Upon gaining
prominence Reni surrounded himself with helpers—such as Giovanni Lanfranco,
Francesco Albani, and Antonio Carracci—who were fascinated by his noble if
somewhat tyrannical personality.
In his early career Reni executed important commissions for Pope Paul V and
Scipione Cardinal Borghese, painting numerous frescoes in chapels for these and
other patrons. Among these works is the celebrated fresco “Aurora” (1613–14). In
his religious and mythological paintings, Reni evolved a style that tempered
Baroque exuberance and complexity with classical restraint. Such compositions as
“Atalanta and Hippomenes” (1625) show his preference for gracefully posed
figures that mirror antique ideals. In the later part of his career, Reni
employed lighter tones, softer colours, and extremely free brushwork.
Except for the work of the Carracci family, the frescoes of Raphael and ancient
Greek sculptures were the main inspiration for Reni's art. He strove toward a
classical harmony in which reality is presented in idealized proportions. The
mood of his paintings is calm and serene, as are the studied softness of colour
and form. His religious compositions made him one of the most famous painters of
his day in Europe, and a model for other Italian Baroque artists.
St Cecilia
1606
Oil on canvas, 94 x 75 cm
Norton Simon Museum of Art, Pasadena
Baptism of Christ
c. 1623
Oil on canvas, 263,5 x 186,5 cm
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Atalanta and Hippomenes
1622-25
Oil on canvas
Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples
Drinking Bacchus
c. 1623
Oil on canvas, 72 x 56 cm
Gemäldegalerie, Dresden
The Boy Bacchus
1615-20
Oil on canvas, 87 x 70 cm
Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence
David with the Head of Goliath
1605
Oil on canvas, 220 x 145 cm
Musee du Louvre, Paris
Girl with a Rose
Oil on canvas, 81 x 62 cm
Museo del Prado, Madrid
Massacre of the Innocents
1611
Oil on canvas, 268 x 170 cm
Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna
The Gathering of the Manna
1614-15
Oil on canvas, 280 x 170 cm
Cathedral, Ravenna
Moses
1600-10
Oil on canvas
Galleria Borghese, Rome
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