1575 -1642 · Bologna and Rome

Ideal grace, clear light and measured gestures make Guido Reni one of the great masters of European Baroque classicism.

Guido Reni was born in Bologna in 1575 into a family of musicians. He entered the Flemish studio of Denys Calvaert at a very young age, then joined the Carracci academy, where the study of drawing, Antiquity and Raphael was consistent with the observation of the living model. Around 1601 or 1602, Reni left for Rome. There he encountered the heritage of Raphael, ancient sculpture and the new painting of Caravaggio. The Crucifixion of Saint Peter took up Caravaggio's chiaroscuro and physical force, but organized the torture with already personal clarity. Reni works for powerful patrons, notably the Borghese. His Aurora, painted at the Rospigliosi Casino, became a manifesto of classicism: Apollo and the Hours cross the sky in a luminous, balanced and musical frieze. Returning to Bologna around 1613, he directed a very active workshop and responded to orders from all over Europe. His painting seeks an ideal beauty capable of elevating the religious or mythological subject. The skin tones lighten, the shadows become silvery and the raised faces express contained emotion. In The Massacre of the Innocents, the violence is ordered by a rigorous geometry which makes each pain readable. In The Massacre of the Innocents, the violence is ordered by a rigorous geometry which makes each pain readable. In The Massacre of the Innocents, the violence is ordered by a rigorous geometry which makes each pain readable. In The Massacre of the Innocents, the violence is ordered by a rigorous geometry which makes each pain readable. In The Massacre of the Innocents, the violence is ordered by a rigorous geometry which makes each pain readable. In The Massacre of the Innocents, the violence is ordered by a rigorous geometry which makes each pain readable. In The Massacre of the Innocents, the violence is ordered by a rigorous geometry which makes each pain readable. In The Massacre of the Innocents, the violence is ordered by a rigorous geometry which makes each pain readable. In The Massacre of the Innocents, the violence is ordered by a rigorous geometry which makes each pain readable. pale and floating draperies. Reni's last style becomes freer and clearer, sometimes almost unfinished, allowing the preparation of the canvas to breathe. The master also experienced difficulties linked to the game, which fueled abundant production and extensive use of the workshop. Died in Bologna in 1642, Reni exerted an immense influence on the sacred image, Roman classicism and extensive use of the workshop. Died in Bologna in 1642, Reni exerted an immense influence on the sacred image, Roman classicism and European painting until the 19th century. The "Guido Reni" selection notably compares The Massacre of the Innocents and Saint Michael the Archangel slaying the demon. His reading favors the material.

Reni disciplines drama without extinguishing it: line, light and grace transform violence or desire into a clear, almost musical emotion.