Guercino and the Rome of the Ludovisi on display at the Scuderie del Quirinale
Guercino returns to Rome in a triumphal celebration of seventeenth-century art, with the exhibition “Guercino. The Ludovisi era in Rome”, at the Scuderie del Quirinale from 31 October 2024 to 26 January 2025.
An unmissable event featuring two giants of the history of art and Roman power: Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, better known as Guercino, and the Ludovisi dynasty, personified by Cardinal Ludovico and his influential uncle Alessandro Ludovisi, Pope Gregory XV.
The exhibition itinerary develops as a compelling story of the brief but significant Ludovisi papacy (1621-1623), a luminous parenthesis between the great Borghese and Barberini dynasties, often overlooked by scholars but crucial for the history of Roman art. Precisely in these years, the young Guercino found a unique opportunity in Rome to establish himself, igniting his inspiration thanks to the refined patronage of Pope Gregory XV. The distinctive signs of an era emerge in the exhibition which laid the foundations for the subsequent artistic developments of the Baroque.
The exhibition offers an overview of a historical period in which art and politics were deeply intertwined. The Ludovisi, in the wake of other powerful Roman families, created their emblematic villa, Villa Ludovisi, and collected works ranging from antiquity to contemporary art of the sixteenth century, enriching Rome with extraordinary pieces and an innovative artistic vision.
His style, sensitive and vibrant, emerges as a point of perfect balance between the classical heritage and baroque experimentation, representing the refined culture and political power of the Ludovisi family. Organized in collaboration with prestigious institutions such as the Uffizi Galleries, the National Roman Museum and the Capitoline Museums, the exhibition features 121 works, coming from 68 important museums and collections.
A unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a fascinating period of Roman history, which, for the first time, also offers the exclusive opportunity to visit some rooms of the Casino of Villa Ludovisi, including the Hall of Dawn, where the famous fresco stands out of Guercino. The visits, available from November 9th, will only be open on weekends and by reservation. The exhibition is not only an exhibition of masterpieces, but a journey into the very essence of seventeenth-century art: a celebration of the beauty and power of an unrepeatable era, an opportunity to discover the brief, but very intense, splendor of Rome Ludovisi, whose reverberation still resonates today in the rooms of the Scuderie del Quirinale.
From 31 October 2024 to 26 January 2025
Rome
Location: Quirinale Stables
Address: Via XXIV Maggio 16
Official website: http://scuderiequirinale.it
Source: https://www.arte.it/
Photo: https://www.vaticannews.va/
