Federico Barocci : Inspiration and Innovation in Early Modern Italy

Reviewers of a recent exhibition termed Federico Barocci (ca. 1533–1612), 'the greatest artist you’ve never heard of'. One of the first original iconographers of the Counter Reformation, Barocci was a remarkably inventive religious painter and draftsman, and the first Italian artist to incorporate extensive color into his drawings. The purpose of this volume is to offer new insights into Barocci’s work and to accord this artist, the dates of whose career fall between the traditional Renaissance and Baroque periods, the critical attention he deserves. Employing a range of methodologies, the essays include new ideas on Barocci’s masterpiece, the Entombment of Christ; fresh thinking about his use of color in his drawings and innovative design methods; insights into his approach to the nude; revelations on a key early patron; a consideration of the reasons behind some of his most original iconography; an analysis of his unusual approach to the marketing of his pictures; an exploration of some little-known aspects of his early production, such as his reliance on Italian majolica and contemporary sculpture in developing his compositions; and an examination of a key Barocci document, the post mortem inventory of his studio. A translated transcription of the inventory is included as an appendix. Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- List of illustrations -- Acknowledgements -- Note to readers -- 1 Introduction -- 2 From altar to hearth -- 3 Just what is it that makes Barocci's painting so different, so appealing? -- 4 Barocci and the legacy of the artistic tradition of his homeland -- 5 Federico Barocci and the corpus of High Renaissance art -- 6 "Though this be madness, yet there is method in it": Barocci's design process -- 7 Drawing the Virgin -- 8 "God knows when he'll finish"--9 The tip of the iceberg -- Appendix I -- Bibliography -- Index Reviewers of a recent exhibition termed Federico Barocci (ca. 1533-1612), 'the greatest artist you've never heard of'. The central purpose of this volume is to accord this artist, the dates of whose career fall between the traditional Renaissance and Baroque periods, the critical attention he deserves. Employing a range of methodologies, the essays offer new insights into Barocci's work.