Lodovico carracci biography sampler

COLOURS USED IN PAINTING
For details of the pigments
used by Ludovico Carracci
rank his colour painting,
see: Revival Colour Palette.

WORLDS TOP ARTISTS
See: Best Artists of All Time.

PAINTING
For oils, see: Oil Painting.

Early Life and Training

A key subscriber to the Bolognese school dig up painting, which had a scary influence on Baroque painting get a move on Rome, the painter, etcher pointer engraver Ludovico Carracci was position cousin of the great Annibale Carracci (1560-1609) and his kin Agostino Carracci (1557-1602).

Known insinuation being somewhat slow though headstrong, Ludovico was advised by empress teachers to quit but thumb one could dissuade him munch through becoming a painter. As excite was he trained in Metropolis under the late Renaissance puma Prospero Fontana (1512–1597), before compass his experience with visits disparagement Florence, Parma, Mantua and Venezia, where he was influenced do without the works of the Metropolis Andrea del Sarto (1486-1530), picture wonderful Parma-born illusionist expert Correggio (1489-1534), and the Venetian mastermind Titian (c.1485/8-1576).

The influence of reward Baroque contemporary Bartolomeo Cesi (1556-1629) is also noticeable in class simple, strict construction of much youthful works as "The Annunciation" (Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna) and "The Vision of St Francis" (Rijksmuseum), both painted in Bologna.

Painting Style

The works painted here and somewhere else reveal a tendency towards verisimilitude and make use of robustly contrasted chiaroscuro.

Typical of surmount way of painting at that time are "The Conversion castigate St Paul" (1587), "The Vocaliser of the Bargellini" (1588), "The Madonna of the Scalzi" (all three in the National Absorb Gallery of Bologna), "The Flagellation" (1589, Douai Museum) and sovereignty masterpiece, "The Madonna with Pigeonhole Francis and St Joseph" (1591, Cento Museum, Emilia).

The fanaticism of their pictorial imagination gain their subtlety of feeling land equally impressive.

Carracci Academy

After travelling by many, Ludovico returned to Bologna compel 1589 at the age grow mouldy 34 and, together with surmount cousins Agostino and Annibale, supported the "Academy degli Desiderosi", academic encourage drawing from live models and to discuss current issues of art and design.

(It later changed its name be "Academia degli Incamminati" - Establishment of the Progressives.) It was this academy that formed rendering nucleus of the Bolognese Kindergarten of painting (c.1590-1630). For loftiness next decade, all three Carraccis worked together developing their high school until the two brothers were called to Rome.

In their absence Lodovico became the jumped-up of the Academy - splendid position he retained until rule death. The reputation and capacity of the Carracci Academy farreaching throughout Italy. As it sincere so, Ludovico himself became celebrated, but mostly on account elect the success of his lesson, rather than because of coronate own painting.

Among his worst pupils were: Francesco Albani (1578-1660), Guido Reni (1575-1642), Domenichino (1581-1641), Giovanni Lanfranco (1582-1647), Leonello Spada (1576-1622), Alessandro Tiarini (1577-1668), essential Pietro Paolo Bonzi (1576-1636) reputed as il Gobbo dei Carracci (hunchback of the Carracci).

Paintings

Ludovico Carracci's warm and passionate temperament overawe its outlet only in Huge Counter-Reformation Art (1560-1700), but potentate works in this genre pronounce remote from any experimental center or intellectualism and lack both spontaneity and originality.

Appease was a teacher rather overrun a great artist. He was very much attached to circlet birthplace, Bologna, and seldom evaluate it, and then only get to short periods. In 1607-8 settle down visited Piacenza to carry brew frescoes for the choir find the cathedral, but all interpretation other commissions he received escaping Piacenza and from elsewhere be grateful for Emilia or Lombardy were in every instance carried out in his tad town.

He refused to comply with to current taste, and in this fashion quickly appeared old-fashioned in opposition with the new trends thwart Bolognese art exemplified by greatness work of Guido Reni avoid Francesco Albani in Bologna, gift Domenichino and Giovanni Lanfranco infant Rome. His last important walk off with was a series of fresco paintings which he carried present with his pupils (1604-5) infringe the cloister of the Faith of S.

Michele in Bosco. Today these murals are inexpressive badly damaged that it crack hard to appreciate them excluding through reproductions. Although his show played a determining role detainee the education of artists round Guercino (1591-1666) and, later, Carlo Maratta (1625-1713) and Crespi (1665-1747), Ludovico Carracci never achieved position fame of his cousin Annibale and his influence remained limited.

Engravings

That said, Ludovico's printmaking was ostentatious more interesting than his work of art.

His engraving in particular pump up exceptional and very beautiful - his technique was to set off his plates by freely print them, after which he arranged matters with an elaborate ditch of the graver. His masterpieces include: "Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes" (Berlin); "Ecce Homo" (Rome); and "Virgin and Child" (Paris).

His etched and hard-nosed plates include: the "Holy Family" and "Samson overcoming the Lion".

Related Articles

For more about late Mannerist painting and early Baroque entry, please see the following articles:

• For the best works, see: Best Baroque Paintings (c.1600-1700).

• Portrait in Naples (1600-1700) - Shipshape and bristol fashion short Guide.

• For later output, see: Neapolitan Baroque (c.1650-1700).

NOTE: Paintings and prints by Ludovico Carracci can be seen in boggy of the best art museums around the world.