Accompanies the exhibition of the same title at The Ringling, Sarasota FL, from 14 October 2023-07January 2024
First full investigation into Guercino''s intriguing portrait and its sitter
Offers new scholarship based on extensive archival research and supporting illustrations
Investigates how drawings were appreciated and collected in the 17th century
Provides an up-to-date overview of 17th-century Italian miniature painting
Who is the intriguing man wearing a religious habit and a gold hoop earring in this portrait by Italian Baroque master Il Guercino? And why does he point to a stack of drawings? This fascinating book investigates The Ringlings portrait of Fra Bonaventura Bisi, a Franciscan Minor Conventual friar whose work as an art dealer, printmaker, and celebrated painter of miniatures made him a major figure in the artistic culture of 17th-century Bologna. Beautifully illustrated, this volume offers new scholarship on both Guercinos portrait and Fra Bisis life, including his extraordinary miniatures, his dogged pursuit of artworks for high-ranking collectors, his passionate efforts to promote the appreciation and collecting of drawings, and - not least - his incongruous gold hoop earring. Published to accompany an important exhibition of the same name at The Ringling (14 October 2023-07 January 2024), this book, based on years of research, provides a captivating glimpse into art making and art collecting in Baroque Italy.
