Lecture 30: Italian Baroque Painting in Rome
Giovanni Lanfranco for major commissions led to Domenichino’s departure
for Naples, where he lived the last 10 years of his life. Annibale Carracci was
important in developing landscape as a subject in Italian painting—a serene,
classical style of landscape painting. Domenichino followed him in this vein
as well as others. Domenichino’s Landscape with St. George Killing the
Dragon (c. 1610–1615) is shown here. Note the clear ¿ gures and the sweep
of landscape with diffused light.The Last Communion of St. Jerome (c. 1614) is a scene of dignity and
nobility. The elderly St. Jerome kneels on the steps, where a priest offers him
communion. St. Jerome is accompanied by his faithful lion. The elaborate
painted architecture in this altarpiece reÀ ected current architectural style.
St. Cecilia Distributing Clothes to the Poor (c. 1615–1617) is a fresco in
the same church as Caravaggio’s Contarelli Chapel. The painting uses a
pyramidal shape that leads up to the principal ¿ gure.The artist Guercino (1591–1666) was known by his nickname, meaning
“squint-eye,” although his real name was Francesco Barbieri. He was born
in Cento, near Bologna, and was ¿ rst inÀ uenced by Ludovico Carracci,
then Caravaggio. Despite these powerful inÀ uences, he was an original
painter. When the Bolognese pope died, Guercino returned to Cento, but
when Guido Reni died in 1642, Guercino moved to Bologna and took over
Reni’s practice. Our example shows Shepherds in Arcady (c. 1618). Two
shepherds are presented at half-length, which was typical of Guercino. They
contemplate a skull representing death. The skull is understood to speak the
words inscribed below it: “Et in Arcadia Ego,” meaning “Even in Arcady
there am I [death].”Returning brieÀ y to Guido Reni, we see his Aurora (c. 1612–1614), a ceiling
fresco. This is a Classical work, in which dawn (Aurora) precedes Apollo in
his chariot. He is accompanied by dancing female ¿ gures. Note the landscape
at lower right.Our next example shows Guercino’s fresco of the same subject, Aurora
(c. 1621–1623). One must stand in the center of the room below the painting
to observe it correctly. From the cornice on, everything is painted in strict
perspective which demands a single viewpoint. Here Aurora is pictured in