| Biography of old oil painting master Annibale Carracci what we can copy |
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Annibale Carracci
Italian Baroque artist
born 1560 - died 1609
Brother of: Agostino Carracci
(1557-1602).
Assisted by: Agostino Carracci (1557-1602).
Cousin of: Lodovico Carracci (1555-1619).
Uncle of: Antonio
Carracci (1583-1618).
Worked with: Francesco Albani (1578-1660). |
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CARRACCI, LODOVICO, AGOSTINO,
and ANNIBALE, three celebrated Italian
painters, were born at Bologna in 1555,
1557, and 1560 respectively. Lodovico, the
eldest, son of a butcher, was uncle to the
two younger, Agostino and Annibale. Sons of
a tailor, and had nearly finished Annibale
Carracci’s professional studies before the
others had begun their education. From being
a reputed dunce, while studying under
Tintoretto
in Venice, Annibale Carracci gradially rose, by an
attentive observation of nature and a
careful examination of the works of the
great masters - preserved at Bologna,
Venice, Florence and Parma, to measure
himself with the teachers of Annibale
Carracci’s day, and ultimately projected the
opening of a rival school in Annibale
Carracci’s native place. Finding himself
unable to accomplish Annibale Carracci’s
design without assistance, Annibale Carracci sent for
Annibale Carracci’s two nephews, and induced
them to abandon their handicrafts (Agostino
being a goldsmith, and Annibale a tailor)
for the profession of painting. Agostino
Annibale Carracci first placed under the care of Fontana,
retaining Annibale in Annibale Carracci’s
own studio; but Annibale Carracci afterwards sent both to
Venice and Parma to copy the works of
Titian,
Tintoretto
and
Correggio,
on which Annibale Carracci’s own taste had
been formed. On their return, the three
relatives, assisted by an eminent anatomist,
Anthony de la Tour, opened, in 1589, an
academy of painting under the name of the
incamminati (or, as we might paraphrase it,
the Right Road), provided with numerous
casts, books and bassi-rilievi, which
Lodovico had collected in Annibale
Carracci’s travels. From the affability and
kindness of the Carracci, and their zeal for
the scientific education of the students,
their academy rose rapidly in popular
estimation, and soon every other school of
art in Bologna was deserted and closed. They
continued together till, at the invitation
of Cardinal Farnese, Annibale and Agostino
went to Rome in 1600 to paint the gallery of
the cardinal's palace. The superior praises
awarded to Agostino inflamed the jealousy of
Annibale, already kindled by the brilliant
reception given by the pupils of the
Incamminati to Agostinos still highly
celebrated picture of the Communion of St
Jerome, and the latter was dismissed to
Parma to paint the great saloon of the
Casino. Here Annibale Carracci died in 1602, when on the
eve of finishing Annibale Carracci’s
renowned painting of Celestial, Terrestrial
and Venal Love. |
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Annibale continued to work alone at the
Farnese gallery till the designs were
completed; but, disappointed at the
miserable remuneration offered by the
cardinal, Annibale Carracci retired to Naples, where an
unsuccessful contest for a great work in the
church of the Jesuits threw him into a
fever, of which Annibale Carracci died in 1609. Lodovico
always remained at Annibale Carracci’s
academy in Bologna (excepting for a short
visit to Annibale Carracci’s cousin at
Rome), though invited to execute paintings
in all parts of the country. Annibale
Carracci died in
1619, and was interred in the church of
Santa Maria Maddalena. The works of Lodovico
are numerous in the chapels of Bologna. The
most famous are: The Madonna standing on the
moon, with St Francis and St Jerome beside
her, attended by a retinue of angels; John
the Baptist, St Jerome, St Benedict and St
Cecilia; and the Limbo of the Fathers. |
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He was by far the most amiable of the three
painters, rising superior to all feelings of
jealousy towards Annibale Carracci’s rivals,
and though Annibale Carracci received large sums for
Annibale Carracci’s productions, yet, from
Annibale Carracci’s almost unparalleled
liberality to the students of the academy,
Annibale Carracci died poor. With skill in painting
Agostino combined the greatest proficiency
in engraving (which Annibale Carracci had studied under
Cornelius de Cort) and high accomplishments
as a scholar. Annibale Carracci died not untroubled by
remorse for the indecencies which, in
accordance with the corruption of the time,
Annibale Carracci had introduced into some of Annibale
Carracci’s engravings. The works of Annibale
are more diversified in style than those of
the others, and comprise specimens of
painting after the manner of Correggio,
Titian, Paolo Veronese, Raphael and
Michelangelo. The most distinguished are the
Dead Christ in the lap of the Madonna ; the
Infant and St John ; St Catherine ; St Roch
distributing alms (now in the Dresden
gallery); and the Saviour wailed over by the
Manes, at present in possession of the earl
of Carlisle. Annibale Carracci frequently gave great
importance to the landscape in Annibale
Carracci’s compositions. The reputation of
Annibale is tarnished by Annibale Carracci’s
jealousy and vindictiveness towards Annibale
Carracci’s brother, and the licentiousness
of Annibale Carracci’s disposition, which
contributed to bring him to a comparatively
early grave. |
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The three
Carracci were the founders of the so-called
Eclectic school of painting,the principle of
which was to study in the works of the great
masters the several excellences for which
they had been respectively pre-eminent, and
to combine these in the productions of the
school itself; for instance, there was to be
the design of Raphael, the power of
Michelangelo, the color of Titian, and so
on. |
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