Lodovico Carracci (1555 - 1619)

Lodovico Carracci

Lodovico Carracci was a significant Italian painter and printmaker from Bologna, renowned for his contributions to Baroque art and the Bolognese school. He was a pivotal figure in reinvigorating Italian art, particularly fresco art, which had been overshadowed by the formalistic Mannerism of the late Renaissance period​.

His works are distinguished by their emotional depth and spiritual intensity, often achieved through bold gestures and dramatic lighting. As an artist, he was instrumental in establishing the Carracci workshop and style, alongside his cousins Agostino and Annibale Carracci. Together, they founded an art academy in Bologna around 1585 that focused on a naturalistic approach to painting, emphasizing life drawing and a return to classical principles.

Lodovico Carracci was known for his skillful use of colour and his ability to create harmonious and balanced compositions. His works often depicted religious and mythological subjects and he was particularly famous for his frescoes, which adorned many churches and palaces in Bologna. He was also an influential teacher, with Guido Reni and Domenichino among his pupils.

Among Carracci's known works are notable religious compositions like "The Lamentation" and "Madonna and Child with Saints," which are now housed in prestigious museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York​. He also worked on significant fresco cycles in private palaces, such as the cycle depicting the story of Jason and the Argonauts in the Palazzo Fava, completed in 1584​.

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