Aurora Fresco by Guercino

In 1621 Guercino went to Rome, where he played an important role in the evolution of Roman High Baroque art. Among many other commissions, he decorated the Casino Ludovisi. The main fresco, “Aurora,” on the ceiling of the Grand Hall, is a spirited romantic work, painted to appear as though there were no ceiling, so that the viewer could see Aurora’s chariot moving directly over the building. Yet it already reveals something of the crucial experience of his stay in Rome, his contact with Pope Gregory XV’s private secretary, Monsignor Agucchi, a propagandist for the classicism of Annibale Carracci’s balanced and restrained Roman style. Guercino seems to have tried to make his own style conform with Carraccesque principles, an effort reflected in his “Sta. Petronilla” (1621; Capitoline Museum, Rome). On the death of Gregory XV in 1623, Guercino opened a studio in Cento. Then, upon the death of Guido Reni (1642), whose position in Bologna as heir to Annibale Carracci had been unassailable, he moved to that city, where he was the leading painter until his death.

- Encyclopedia Britannica

Landscape Fresco (1st Floor)

• About: One of the favorite rooms of Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, Principessa di Piombino, the frescoes in this room have been hailed as some of the finest examples of 17th century landscape painting.

• Location: The Casino Dell’ Aurora of the Boncompagni Ludovisi. Read more at https://villaludovisi.org/

• 3D Model Credit: Kelly McClinton, doctoral student at Indiana University under the advisement of Professor Bernard Frischer.

• Photo Credit: the Boncompagni Ludovisi family, without whom this wonderful project would not be possible!