Federico Barocci

Federico Barocci (c. 1533/35–1612) was one of the most innovative Italian artists of the second half of the 16th century. His art combines the Renaissance focus on the human body with an unparalleled use of color and light. He created dynamic compositions that challenged the limitations of traditional pictorial boundaries, becoming a model for Baroque artists of the following century. Nearly 1,500 drawings by Barocci survive, providing invaluable insight into the artist's...
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Federico Barocci (c. 1533/35–1612) was one of the most innovative Italian artists of the second half of the 16th century. His art combines the Renaissance focus on the human body with an unparalleled use of color and light. He created dynamic compositions that challenged the limitations of traditional pictorial boundaries, becoming a model for Baroque artists of the following century. Nearly 1,500 drawings by Barocci survive, providing invaluable insight into the artist's process and thinking.

Essays by leading scholars in the field discuss the role of Urbino—Barocci's hometown—in the artist's development; his pioneering approach to religious subjects; his technique as a draftsman; the interdependence of painting and drawing in his work; and his use of red underpaint. Catalogue entries treat nineteen groups of paintings and drawings, including many previously unpublished sheets. This beautiful and groundbreaking book reveals the breadth and significance of Barocci's oeuvre.