Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri), February 8, 1591–December 22, 1666, was an Italian painter and draftsman born in Cento. He received drawing lessons locally and apprenticed with Benedetto Gennari the Elder. He also studied the work of Ludovico Carracci.

In 1616 Guercino established a life drawing academy in Cento. He worked in Rome during the papacy of Gregory XV, returned to Cento, and moved to Bologna in 1642. His workshop included his nephews Benedetto and Cesare Gennari, who continued its work after his death.

His paintings and drawings are held by the National Gallery in London, the Louvre Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Capitoline Museums, and other public collections.

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