Simone Cantarini

Simone Cantarini, called il Pesarese, painted religious scenes in a refined, luminous manner, combining Bolognese classicism with a fresh naturalism. His Holy Families and Madonnas are tender and quietly lit, with soft Venetian colour.

He was born in Pesaro in 1612 and trained there and under Venetian influence before joining Guido Reni’s studio in Bologna around 1634. After a falling out with Reni he returned to Pesaro, visited Rome, and opened his own studio in Bologna after Reni’s death in 1642. He was also a gifted etcher. His Rest on the Flight into Egypt is in the Louvre, and he painted a well-known portrait of Guido Reni. He died in Verona in 1648, only 36.

In the Holy Family, look for the soft, silvery light, a quality he took from Reni and made his own.