Giovanni Francesco Barbieri was not only an undisputed master of the Baroque, but also a generous mentor, capable of creating a stimulating environment for emerging and established artists.
His home-studio on Via Sant'Alo in Bologna was a true epicenter of creativity and mastery, a place where art not only took shape but was also transmitted and shared.
Here, Guercino worked side by side with family members, young artists and valuable collaborators, transforming the workshop into a hotbed of ideas and artistic innovation. This space was distinguished by its productivity and the quality of the works created, but above all by the speed with which they were executed.
His fame was such that each painting was in high demand, and Guercino ran the workshop with an almost entrepreneurial rigor, maintaining a meticulous "Book of Accounts."
The so-called "Book of Accounts" is a fundamental document for understanding Guercino's work, as it sheds light on the economic organization of a 17th-century painting atelier.
Preserved at the Biblioteca Comunale dell'Archiginnasio in Bologna, the document lists the works produced by Guercino's workshop between 1629 and 1666, with details on the subjects of the paintings, the selling prices and the names of patrons, buyers and intermediaries.
Guercino distinguished himself from other artists by adopting a fixed price for his paintings, a practice that made the buying process more transparent, facilitated access to distant clientele, and reduced the risk of unpleasant surprises. Unlike his predecessors, who often left it to the client to set the price, Guercino ensured clarity from the outset.
The artist proposed a fixed cost for a head (25 ducats), for a half figure (50 ducats), and in the case of a full figure (100 ducats). However, this price could vary according to market conditions, personal relationships, frequency of commissions, or if the artist felt that a work would benefit him. Of course, works destined for distant locations carried additional costs for transportation and brokerage.
The tried-and-tested Guercino-Gennari firm had many young men of different backgrounds in its employment, each with specific roles: from preparing colors to making secondary figures, decorative elements and copies of the original works.
A distinctive feature of the workshop, however, was its focus on the training of artists. Guercino, known for his generosity in passing on knowledge and techniques, offered his pupils and collaborators a comprehensive training experience. Pupils and collaborators thus learned not only technical skills, but also the artistic sensitivity and importance of detail that characterized the master's works.
DISCOVERING GUERCINO
DOWNLOAD THE MAP!An itinerary through Guercino's Baroque art, among art cities, churches and palaces, museums and private collections
- Civica Pinacoteca il Guercino (Cento, FE): www.civicapinacotecailguercino.it
- Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna: www.pinacotecabologna.beniculturali.it
