Carracci School

The artistic activity of the Carracci family of Bologna marks the beginning of Baroque painting and the Carracci family played a decisive role in establishing Bologna as the centre of Italian painting in the 17th century. They strove for a renewal of art and wanted to overcome the artificiality of the prevailing Mannerism, referring to the great masters of the Renaissance and turning specifically to the study of nature. In 1582, the Carracci opened a private academy in Ludovico's studio, which soon developed into a centre for progressive art and is considered the forerunner of the modern art academies.