Guido Reni was born in Bologna in 1575. He first studied with the Flemish painter Denys Calvaert and later trained in the academy of the Carracci, whose approach combined drawing from nature with the study of classical art. Reni established himself in Rome in the early seventeenth century, producing important religious commissions before returning to Bologna, where he directed a successful workshop.
His early work sometimes adopted the dramatic naturalism associated with Caravaggio, but he became especially known for balanced compositions, elegant figures, and a restrained emotional intensity inspired by Raphael and classical sculpture. His religious paintings were admired and copied widely, helping shape devotional imagery in Catholic Europe.