Annibale Carracci, born in the middle of the 16th century in Bologna, was a worthy successor of the Renaissance tradition in Italian painting. He is also considered one of the founders of the Baroque style in the fine arts.
He and his brothers Agostino and Lodovico established the “Academy of the Right Path”. Its goal was to teach future artists to align their work with the masterpieces of antiquity and the Renaissance, as well as to observe nature, study the world around them and paint from life.
Since the days of the Carracci Academy, drawing has become a basic element in creating any art work. The principles of teaching at this private school became fundamental in the art academies all over Europe for centuries to come.
The achievements of Annibale Carracci’s paintings include his meticulous compositions, his well calculated arrangement of figures, and the unique color combination of his palette. Critics, however, have also noted the lack of real inspiration in his paintings. In addition, Carracci was considered an imitator and eclectic, combining the rudiments of almost all styles of classical painting.
Carracci mostly painted mythological, allegorical, and spiritual pieces. In his “Holy Family” the figures of the Virgin Mary, Jesus, and John form a pyramid with the face of the Mother of God at its apex. This geometrical trend in the compositions of paintings featuring Madonna and Child was introduced by Raphael and became a model for painters. Carracci copies the pyramidal composition scheme as well.
Mary’s clothes are in blue and pink colors that have become canonical in painting. She is leaning over a basket serving as a cradle for the baby. On the right, in the back, is the figure of Joseph, who stands reading the Gospel. The artist emphasizes the saint’s detachment both by the distance from the main characters and by his posture, similar to that of a wall-mounted sculpture. In the background is a delicately colored landscape.
This three-plane scheme, developed by Carracci, became the basis for the narrative painting of the academic school: in the foreground are the main characters in colorful attire; in the middle ground are the secondary figures, which are darker or paler. Behind them is a theatrical backdrop that separates the scene from the landscape, the third obligatory element, even more distant from the main act.
Carracci was not only an easel painter: his artistic legacy also includes a large number of engravings, drawings and caricatures of his contemporaries. Despite universal acclaim, Annibale Carracci died at the age of 49 in poverty and was buried in accordance with his dying request in the Pantheon, next to Raphael.
He and his brothers Agostino and Lodovico established the “Academy of the Right Path”. Its goal was to teach future artists to align their work with the masterpieces of antiquity and the Renaissance, as well as to observe nature, study the world around them and paint from life.
Since the days of the Carracci Academy, drawing has become a basic element in creating any art work. The principles of teaching at this private school became fundamental in the art academies all over Europe for centuries to come.
The achievements of Annibale Carracci’s paintings include his meticulous compositions, his well calculated arrangement of figures, and the unique color combination of his palette. Critics, however, have also noted the lack of real inspiration in his paintings. In addition, Carracci was considered an imitator and eclectic, combining the rudiments of almost all styles of classical painting.
Carracci mostly painted mythological, allegorical, and spiritual pieces. In his “Holy Family” the figures of the Virgin Mary, Jesus, and John form a pyramid with the face of the Mother of God at its apex. This geometrical trend in the compositions of paintings featuring Madonna and Child was introduced by Raphael and became a model for painters. Carracci copies the pyramidal composition scheme as well.
Mary’s clothes are in blue and pink colors that have become canonical in painting. She is leaning over a basket serving as a cradle for the baby. On the right, in the back, is the figure of Joseph, who stands reading the Gospel. The artist emphasizes the saint’s detachment both by the distance from the main characters and by his posture, similar to that of a wall-mounted sculpture. In the background is a delicately colored landscape.
This three-plane scheme, developed by Carracci, became the basis for the narrative painting of the academic school: in the foreground are the main characters in colorful attire; in the middle ground are the secondary figures, which are darker or paler. Behind them is a theatrical backdrop that separates the scene from the landscape, the third obligatory element, even more distant from the main act.
Carracci was not only an easel painter: his artistic legacy also includes a large number of engravings, drawings and caricatures of his contemporaries. Despite universal acclaim, Annibale Carracci died at the age of 49 in poverty and was buried in accordance with his dying request in the Pantheon, next to Raphael.
