St William of Aquitaine Receiving the Cowl

This canvas originated from the church of San Gregorio in Bologna and according to contemporaries it was a “large splash” of light and colour that completely overshadowed all the other paintings around it, including Lodovico Carracci’s altarpiece. There is no doubt that this was the most important painting Guercino produced in his early years. He took great trouble preparing it and worked from careful studies and pencil sketches. The structure of the composition was highly original. The figures are arranged along the sides of an invisible lozenge, leaving the centre of the painting empty. The use of light and shade emphasized both the very delicate colours (right through to the candid white robes of the brother on the right) and the deeply dark areas. Thanks to this painting, Guercino became the favourite painter of Cardinal Ludovisi and leader of the Bologna school.