Dimensions:
Frame: yes
Annibale Carracci : Though a rather humble and unassuming fellow, Annibale Carracci emerged as one of the most dynamic and respected painters of late sixteenth century Italy. He is acknowledged almost universally as the most important figure in the transition between the Mannerist and Baroque movements. Resisting the aesthetic enticements of the artificial and over-elaborate style of the former, Carracci promoted a return to the subtle naturalism as practiced previously by the likes of Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese and Correggio. Before making his name as an artist in his own right, Carracci collaborated closely with his brother Agostino and his cousin Ludovico. As a collective - known as "The Carracci" - the three men established an Academy in their hometown of Bologna through which they promoted drawing from live models and discussions on theoretical issues effecting art practice and history. As a collective, the Carracci undertook important public commissions together. Emboldened by a youthful socialist idealism, the three men refused to take individual credit for their work: "It is by the Carracci: all of us did it" proclaimed Annibale on completion of their best known commission for the Palazzo Fava. In pioneering a style that bled elements of naturalism and classicism with real figures and vivid Venetian coloring, the Carracci helped launch Bologna as a centre for 17th century Baroque painting.
