At the beginning of the 17th century it develops Classicism in Bologna; which is the largest capital and city in the north of the Emilia Romana region in Italy and turned out to be a current in painting that moves away from mannerism, in search of expressing the ideal beauty sweetened and perfect, in which the balance is emphasized, the equanimous and balanced in the scenes of the paintings, with the intention of representing an expressive dignity; Emotional but equanimous and rational in painting, looking more at a classic past of antiquity in which they find a legacy related to their purposes.
The principles of this pictorial current are opposed to Caravaggio’s naturalism and his followers of naturalistic current. A group of Boloñeses painters among those who are as top representatives:
-So Reni.
The brothers: – Agostino Carracci.
– Annibale Carracci.
The cousin of both – Ludovico Carracci.
They tried to recover the serenity of spirit of the Greco -Roman world, adding the presence of beautiful landscapes, calm and harmonious where the representations of the ancient ruins are not lacking, in allegory to their tribute and emulation of the principles of proportion, balance and balance of classical antiquity.
General characteristics of the classical current.
- This current rejects the idealized forms in excess, but also the representation of immediate reality, with its aggressive and raw imperfections.
- They paint things not as they are, but how they should be, looking for ideal beauty in a meditated and reasoned way.
- The lighting they use is uniform.
- Also the colors are soft taking care of the drawing on the stain. His drawing is firm, with very defined lines and contours.
- Neoclassical painters were greatly influenced by the teachers of the 16th century such as Rafael and Miguel Ángel what is observed in the composition of the scenes and palette used.
- They represent balanced landscapes, sometimes serene with Roman ruins.
- In these landscape pictures, although there are human figures, what dominates is the representation of nature very carefully drawn, but idealized.
- Man is not the main theme of representation in these paintings.
- Some authors specialize in fresco paintings on ceilings and vaults as with Annibale Carracci in the Farnesio Palace gallery.
Annibale Carracci (Bologna, 1560-Roma, 1609)
Classicism aims to recover the spirit of the painting of the 16th century, hosting an alternative that moves away from the mannerism of the previous century. The fundamental works of Annibale Carracci will be fresh painting and also the landscape.
His works are balanced and will influence other landscapers especially in the French. Its paintings reflect the classic proportion of forms, serenity, balance, ideal beauty in compositions, in the use of color, in the detail of the anatomy that is represented.
Classicism is declared a continuator of the ideals of the Renaissance being its paintings influenced by the great teachers of the previous century such as Rafael and Miguel Ángel, paying attention to the representation of the hard and solid forms. However, Annibale gives him the theatrical feeling of the Baroque what is appreciated when he treats the religious or mythological themes in which he expresses himself serenely but with grandiosity at the same time.
They are the Carracci, especially Annibale, the initiators of the genre of the cartoon, which implies an attentive observation of the most characteristic features of individual human personality. In addition, you have to add the application of Venetian color, very rich and very nuanced, with atmospheric effects. Therefore sometimes his painting has been classified as eclectic although he came to create his own style.
Annibale joined an academy in the early 1580s, who found his older brother Agostino Carracci; together with the cousin of both, Ludovico Carracci. They opened the Academy of DesiDerosi painters that was later called the Academy of the Incamminati (progressive) and finally the “Eclectic School”, with the intention of training painters in this classicist current that extended and also included literary and humanistic aspects so that students had a complete education. Among his most prominent followers are:
– Dominico Zampieri, known as Domenichino. (1581-1641)
-Guido Reni (1575-1642).
– Francesco Albani (1578-1660).
– Giovanni Lanfranco (1582-1647).
Trips to Parma Ya Venice familiarized him with the works of the painters Antonio Alegri de Correggio and Tiziano; that will exert a great influence on him. To this period correspond the works “Venus, Adonis and Cupid” as well as “Assumption of the Virgin”.
Guido Reni (1575-1642).
He was a baroque -style painter of the neoclassical current who uses excellent color and a perfect drawing. His paintings mix the influences of the Roman school of the Renaissance along with the color of the Venetian school, but also had influences from Caravaggio, the Carracci and even the freshists. Although religious issues work, they are the mythological themes where it denotes its special qualities with an excellent drawing, delicate in forms and with an elegance and color that can be a bit cold and calculated.
Reni evolved to a style that expressed baroque exuberance and complexity in classical moderation. Such compositions as “Hipomenes and Atalanta” (1625) show their preference for elegantly presented figures that reflect ancient ideals. He concentrated towards a classic harmony in which reality occurs in idealized proportions. I perform numerous frescoes in the chapels for several customers. Among these works is the famous fresh “Aurora” (1613-14).
The mood of his paintings is calm and serene, as are the softness of color and shape. His religious compositions made one of the most famous painters of his time in Europe and a model for other Italian Baroque artists. At the end of his career, Reni used lighter tones, soft colors and freer brushstroke.