Barocci is generally considered the greatest and most individual painter of his time in central Italy. Certain features of his work are thoroughly in the Mannerist tradition: his rather indefinite treatment of space, for example, and his delight in fluttering draperies. Mannerist paintings typically depict figures in exaggerated poses in a shallow compositional space intended to heighten the dramatic effect.
Barocci painted court portraits and grand religious works, especially altarpieces and Madonna figures. His delicate handling of color and space express a sentimental warmth and devotion that reflects his strong religious piety. His early use of dramatic lighting and other techniques, his directness and freshness made his work a precursor of the Baroque. In his later works, Barocci's spirituality and contemplative nature emerged more clearly, pointing decisively toward the beginnings of the Baroque. He exerted a profound influence on his contemporaries and on many later Baroque artists, especially Flemish painter Rubens.
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Giovanni Bellori, the pre-eminent biographer of the Baroque age, considered Barocci the finest Italian painter of his period and lamented that he had `languished in Urbino'. Although Bellori certainly exaggerated when he claimed that Barocci always worked from life, the artist did draw numerous preparatory studies. His diligence did not always please his patrons, however, for they often waited on his commissions.
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100% cotton canvas 80x80cm - Front printed, back is solid cotton canvas.
Statens Museum for Kunst / National Gallery of Denmark. www.smk.dk
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