Guercino's Friar with a Gold Earring: Fra Bonaventura Bisi, Painter and Art Dealer

(Paperback)

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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.

Author Bio

David M. Stone is Professor Emeritus at the University of Delaware and a specialist in 17th-century Italian art. Sarah Cartwright is Ulla R. Searing Curator of Collections at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.