Early Baroque

When Bellori wrote about the art scene in sixteenth century Rome, he chronicled a dialog between the extremes of two artistic virtues.

“In this long tumult art was attacked by two contrary extremes, one completely dependent on nature, the other on fantasia: their authors in Rome were Caravaggio and Cavaliere d’Arpino; the former copied bodies exactly as they appeared to the eye, without discrimination, the latter never looked at nature, following the liberties of instinct… Thus, when painting was in terminal decline, the kind stars shone on Italy, and it pleased God that in the city of Bologna, mistress of learning and study, there should appear a brilliant genius, and that art, fallen and almost extinct, should rise again. That man was Annibale Carracci.”

The Academy of Classical Design’s winter lecture series looks at this dialog between copying nature and invention, the profound recurring rhythm that has provided such variety in the history of Art.