|
|
" ECCE HOMO"
GUIDO RENI (1575-1642)
IN THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON
An interesting theory, which has often been put forward, is the question of the manner in which the character of an artist may affect his work. Does the frailty of a man reveal itself in the work of his mind and hands? Guido Reni is a painter who furnishes an example that the theorists may well ponder over. He was an inveterate gambler, and many who admire his work would censure him for the habit, Yet with it all he has produced such sermons in paint as have profoundly moved the generations of men throughout the world ever since his time. Here is one of the most poignant pictures ever conceived and put upon canvas, showing the " Man of Sorrows" in one of the acutest phases of His suffering:
.. Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head. and they put on him a purple robe. . . . Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, 'Behold the man '..
Guido painted innumerable pictures which are to be seen in all the principal European galleries. He studied under Calvaert and Ludovico Caracci, and went to Rome, first in 1599 and again in 1605. Here he worked for the Church, and one can imagine that the prelates welcomed him as a painter who could move the souls and stir the imaginations of their congregations. Through a quarrel with Cardinal Spinola concerning an altar-piece for St. Peter's, he left the Eternal City and migrated to Bologna, where he died.
From the book "Famous Paintings" Volume 2 printed in 1913.
Large files of this public domain print are available at Stock Photos at Songs of Praise
(Firefox users must click again on the large photo to see the very large image.)
Online "Name the Painting"
Guido Reni
links at ArtCyclopedia
Guido Reni Biography
Catholic Encyclopedia
Guido Reni Pronunciation
Famous Paintings in this Series
