Drawings: Il Guercino

In this FULL VERSION, you will find over 100 drawings by the great master Il Guercino. Enjoy the high quality images of his drawings, share them with your friends via email, and learn about the artist life.

Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (1591 – 1666), best known as Guercino or Il Guercino, was an Italian Baroque painter from the region of Emilia, and active in Rome and Bologna. Guercino is Italian for squinter, a nickname that was given to him because he was cross-eyed. He is especially noted for his many superb drawings.

Guercino was one of the most brilliant draughtsmen of his age. In addition to preparatory studies for his paintings, he made many informal drawings for his own pleasure (including landscapes, genre scenes, and caricatures) and these—usually executed in pen and brown ink—often show remarkable freedom and vitality.