Paris Art Studies –
Winter 2009 – Great masters of Western Art 3 – first Louvre visit
Italian Baroque Masters
The
Carracci
Agostino
(1557-1602)
Annibale
(1560-1609) - brothers
Lodovico
(1555-1619) - cousin
At the
beginning in Bologna
they all have a common studio.After
1582 they run a private “academy” with special emphasis on life drawing. It
becomes a rallying point for progressive tendencies in Bologna. From 1585 all three develop
differently.
Initially
apprenticed in Milan
to mediocre painter Simone Peterzano for four years.
Annibale revives along with Caravaggio
time honoured values of Italian art at the opening of the 17c. His frescos at
the Farnese gallery wiil be considered until the end of the 18c the greatest
works of Italian art along with Michelangelo’s Sistine ceiling and Raphael’s
stanze at the Vatican.His eclectic approach in his early works
combines northern models (Corregio, Veronese) with Roman (Raphael), moving as
he progresses towards greater clarity, solidity and definition of attitudes and
expressions.
Lodovico: more baroque, with dramatic
light contrasts, intensely emotional with no Renaissance reserve. Remains in Bologna where after his
cousins’ departure his art regresses.
1595 –
Annibale leaves for Rome,
joined by Agostino two years later.
1595-1605
– Annibale creates a grand manner, a dramatic style buttressed by the close
study of nature, antiquity, Raphael and Michelangelo. He fuses Venetian colour
and Roman design, a painterly approach with a classical severity of form.
The climax
of his career is the ceiling for the Farnese palace gallery – Bacchus and
Ariadne – begun in 1597.It is the
first dynamic Roman ceiling (baroque) unlike the more static effect of
Michelangelo’s Sistine.
The Louvre
“Lamentation” is a late picture with a measured heroic expression like
classical tragedy.Annibale was always
preoccupied with the Aristotelian problem of how to represent in appropriate
and forceful form the affeti, the emotions of the human soul. He
captured the rationalist spirit of his age by combining the rational medium of
design with the emotive orirrational
medium of color.The more romantic
aspect of his sensibility also lead him to landscape.
His first
loosely constructed landscapes with hunters and fishermen (Louvre) give way to
carefully constructed classical panoramas that will inspire Domenichino,
Albani, Poussin and Claude.
In his
more personal work a turn to caricature reveals a new dichotomy between his
public, acceptable personality and a more private secretive one announcing
future dualities in the history of art (Hogarth, Goya).
The Caravaggisti
His
turbulent personality, his highly individual and improvisational style, his
mystic experience of light meant that Caravaggio had no pupils, nor could his
style be transmitted easily as a formula.However, his directness and power had a great “hypnotic” effect on
contemporary painters though it proved short lasting in most others artists’
work.
Orazio
Gentileschi
(1563-1639)
In Rome since 1576, he falls
under Caravaggio’s influence in the early 1600’s.He retains however a Tuscan quality
reminiscent of Bronzino – clear, precise contours, cool colors, a certain
restraint in his compositions.He ends
up in England
as court painter to Charles I in 1626 where his Caravaggism weakens.
Bartolomeo
Manfredi
(c.1587 – 1620)
Painting
period: 1610-20. One of closest followers of Caravaggio whom he imitates in a
rough style that future generations came to consider as characteristic of the
great master.He specializes in coarse
guard room and tavern scenes. Caravaggio’s early subjects are painted by
Manfredi using the master’s late “tenebroso” style.
Giovanni
Serodine
(1600 -1630)
Arrives in
Rome 1615.
Greatest colourist in Caravaggist group. The loose handling and impasto in his
late work looks forward to Rembrandt and leads away from Caravaggio’s style.
By 1620
Caravaggism is spent out. It survives in “bambocciate” of Pieter van Laer a Haarlem artist painting in Rome 1625-1639.
The Bolognese in Rome
After 1600
they establish a new style by strengthening therationalist and classical and tendencies of Annibale’s Farnese ceiling.
Their stay in Rome
is intermittent. From 1606-18 they execute a series of large and influential
frescos still considered the superior medium in Italy in contrast to Caravaggio’s
easel painting on canvas.
Domenichino (1581-1641) is considered at the
time the greatest artist working in Rome
after the withdrawal of Annibale.His
early classicism (Raphael through the eyes of Annibale) turns more Baroque (1622).In 1631 he leaves for Naples.In the neo-classical 18th century he was considered second
only to Raphael.
St Cecilia
1617 –
Louvre – Brought up a Christian she takes a vow of chastity and convinces her
husband Valerius to commit to sexual abstinence. She eventually became a martyr
for her faith and was drowned, boiled in hot oil and struck three times with a
sword in the neck. She survived this treatment for three days while
distributing all her riches to the poor.By the 15th century she becomes Saint patron of music –
mention of musical instruments on her wedding day, in Latin “organum”, gave
rise to her typical attribute the modern organ. Sometimes she is shown
rejecting earthly instruments for heavenly music.
Albani ( 1578-1660)
Influenced
by Lodovico in Bologna.
In Rome he
turns more to Raphael developing a light and lyrical manner. A Domenichino
classicist without the latter’s precision and sense of style.His specialty are light-hearted and appealing
representations of myth and allegory in landscape settings.
Guido Reni ( 1575-1642)
Eventually
returns to Bologna.He is a more subtle colorist than
Domenichino. Too many standardized sentimental studio pictures produced in his
last ten years by assistants have obscured his fame.
He quickly
moved away from Caravaggism to a more classical style that is, however, freer
and more imaginative than Domenichino’s.He had by 1610 a great reputation and was much favoured by Cardinal
Scipione Borghese who obtained for him major papal commissions.
He left Rome forBologna in 1614
abandoning the Roman field to Domenichino.
His style
represents a perfect balance between naturalism and classicism.
Lafranco ( 1582-1647)
Replaced
Domenichino as foremost painter in Rome
in the 1620’s after being overshadowed for 20 years. Born in Parma,
he worked there under Agostino before coming to Rome in 1602 after Agostino’s death.
From
beginning he is the antipode of Domenichino employing a Parmese painterly
freedom (influnced by Correggio) that is very different from the classical
discipline of Domenichino.He resurrects
the old conflictbetween color and
design, for a time resolved by Annibale.
By 1612 he
develops a monumental and dynamic Baroque manner with a strong chiaroscuro
which prevails in Rome
by 1616 and is visible in the villa Borghese ceiling frescos.
Guercino(1591-1666)
Younger than others. From Cento. Baroque in style, he uses
form-dissolving and glowing warm colours.His forceful contrapostos and intense emotion go beyond the early style
of Lodovico whom he greatly admired.He
arrives in Rome
in 1621. His confidence ebbs, however, after the Casino Ludovisi Aurora
frescos and his style is classicised by the impact of Rome.
Outside Rome
Bartolomeo Schedoni(1578-1615)
Born in Modena and worked
mostly in Parma
where he died.In the beginning a
Mannerist and then greatly influenced by Corregio.A fluid painter who limits color to a few
brilliant tones and borrows the low types in his paintings from Caravaggio.