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Painter, 1575 to 1642

Guido Reni

Travellers on the Grand Tour came to Rome to see Raphael, Michelangelo and Guido. The third name has faded, and his pictures are still where they admired them.

Born
1575, Bologna, Italy
Died
1642, Bologna, Italy
Movement
Baroque
In Rome
4 works in 4 museums

Where to see Guido Reni in Rome

Each work with the museum it hangs in. Museums move and lend their works, so check before a special journey.

Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini1 work

  1. The Archangel Michael by Guido Reni: the angel in blue armour and a red cloak, sword raised, with his foot on Satan.

    The Archangel Michael

    about 1635

    The archangel, weightless in blue and red, with his foot on the head of Satan. It is in the first chapel on the right of the Capuchin church on Via Veneto, above the famous crypt of bones.

Vatican Museums1 work

  1. The Crucifixion of St Peter by Guido Reni: the saint hauled upside down onto the cross by three men.

    The Crucifixion of St Peter

    1604 to 1605

    Painted when he was new to Rome and trying out the manner of Caravaggio. It is in the Pinacoteca.

Casino dell'Aurora, Palazzo Pallavicini Rospigliosi1 work

  1. Aurora by Guido Reni: the dawn flying before the chariot of Apollo, surrounded by dancing Hours.

    Aurora

    1614

    The dawn flying ahead of the chariot of the sun, on the ceiling of a garden pavilion. It was once the most copied painting in Rome. The pavilion opens to visitors only on a few days.

Capitoline Museums1 work

  1. Saint Sebastian

    about 1615

    The young saint bound to a tree, in the picture gallery.

The life of Guido Reni

Guido Reni was born in Bologna in 1575 and trained in the academy of the Carracci. He worked in Rome on and off from 1601 to 1614, for the Borghese pope and his nephew, before going home to Bologna for good.

His painting is all grace: pale flesh, silvery light, upturned eyes. The nineteenth century found it sweet and turned away. He died in Bologna in 1642, rich and ruined by gambling by turns.

What to know

  • Painted the Aurora for Cardinal Scipione Borghese
  • Ranked with Raphael by the eighteenth century
  • The leading painter of Bologna after the Carracci
Born
4 November 1575, Bologna, Italy
Died
18 August 1642, Bologna, Italy

Guido Reni: common questions

Where can you see Guido Reni in Rome?
At Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini: The Archangel Michael. At the Vatican Museums: The Crucifixion of St Peter. At the Casino dell'Aurora, Palazzo Pallavicini Rospigliosi: Aurora. At the Capitoline Museums: Saint Sebastian. Museums move and lend their works, so check before a special journey.
What is Guido Reni's most famous work in Rome?
The Archangel Michael, of about 1635, at Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini. The archangel, weightless in blue and red, with his foot on the head of Satan. It is in the first chapel on the right of the Capuchin church on Via Veneto, above the famous crypt of bones.
When and where was Guido Reni born?
On 4 November 1575, at Bologna, Italy. Guido Reni died on 18 August 1642, at Bologna, Italy, aged about 67.
What is Guido Reni known for?
Painted the Aurora for Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Ranked with Raphael by the eighteenth century. The leading painter of Bologna after the Carracci. Guido Reni was an Italian painter, of the Baroque.

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