Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, called Guercino

A young man in a bulbous hat is shown in profile, staring at an owl perched on top of his stick. He is probably a bird catcher about to hunt with a trained owl, a common activity in Italy in the 1600s. Poised between depiction and caricature, the drawing has a humorous undertone that also relies on a verbal pun: in Italian, “hunting with the owl” could also suggest flirting with a coy woman. Subtly humorous but enigmatic, this is one of many drawings Guercino made for his own amusement.