Guido Cagnacci (1601-1663) was one of the most original and idiosyncratic painters in seventeenth-century Italy. Trained in Bologna and Rome, he led an extraordinary life, between Romagna, Venice and Vienna. This book examines Cagnacci's life and his eccentric work, from his early religious paintings to the later canvases showing ancient heroines and allegorical and biblical figures, often in defiantly sensual attitudes. This is the first book in English devoted to Cagnacci in almost 30 years and provides an overview of his astonishing artistic achievements.