Annibale Carraci

ANNIBALE CARRACCI (Bologna, 1560 - Rome, 1609)
"Sketch with the face of a saint".
Sanguine on paper.
Framed with museum glass.
Measurements: 10 x 10 cm; 30 x 30 cm (frame).
This sanguine attributed to Annibale Carracci represents a study to two figures of bust, conceived with the preparatory purpose typical of the drawing of workshop. The composition shows, in the foreground, the profile of a saint or religious, while in the background, in a more subdued manner, but with clear intentionality, the frontal face of another religious is sketched.
The use of sanguine, a common technique in the Bolognese environment of the late Cinquecento, allows Carracci to explore with ease both the anatomical volume and the facial expression. The texture of the medium provides a tonal warmth that emphasizes the humanity of the models, an essential characteristic in the renewal of the naturalistic language promoted by the Carracci from the Accademia degli Incamminati.
The choice of the profile for the first bust responds to an iconographic tradition inherited from classical and Renaissance portraiture, associated with nobility and contemplation. The face in profile is carefully delineated, with particular attention to the nose, forehead and chin line, while the treatment of the hair and religious habit is resolved with freer strokes, revealing the sketch condition of the work. For its part, the second face, less developed, but not lacking in expressiveness, seems to function as a counterpoint to the main portrait.
The drawing can be understood as part of the visual research process typical of Carracci, where the study of the human figure and the search for an emotional truth that moves away from mannerist rigidity are articulated. Beyond its preparatory function, this sanguine reveals the artist's mastery in capturing the interiority of religious characters through minimal gestures and an economy of means that does not detract from the strength or intention of the final result.
At the beginning of the 17th century, while Caravaggio was breaking with Mannerist and even Renaissance conventions, a new way of understanding painting, usually called "eclecticism", was emerging in Bologna under the guidance of Carracci. It sought to integrate the best of each master, especially Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Veronese and Correggio. However, Annibale Carracci's personality led him to evolve towards a very personal classicism, which did not disdain certain Caravaggiesque achievements.