The Carracci Cartoons: Myths in the Making

10 April – 6 July 2025
Room 1
Admission free

Coinciding with our 'C C Land: The Wonder of Art' re-hang, this spring the National Gallery will present the Carracci cartoons (about 1599) in Room 1. This is a rare chance to see these extraordinary works which, at nearly four metres wide and two metres tall and in the delicate medium of charcoal and white chalk, are not often displayed. The two immense drawings were created as working tools, true-to-life-sized representations on paper in preparation for a monumental fresco. Designed for the transfer in distinct sections of the complex composition onto fresh plaster, they offer a unique insight into the working practices of a Renaissance artist and their workshop during the preparation and execution of large-scale frescoes.

The cartoons show two scenes inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the ancient myths and tales about gods and mortals that a new generation of painters in the Renaissance reimagined for their contemporaries. They were made in preparation for one of the most ambitious decoration projects carried out in one of Rome’s greatest Renaissance palaces, the Palazzo Farnese (now the site of the French Embassy in Rome): the ceiling of the palace’s gallery.

These mythological scenes are set against a backdrop of painted architecture and sculptural decoration and completed an illusion of framed pictures seemingly suspended from the vaulted ceiling. The visible signs of their use  - from small perforations for copying contours, to cuts used to transfer pieces to plaster - make the cartoons captivating testimonies to the inventive artistic vigour behind the creation of these frescoes.

The fresco was commissioned by Odoardo Farnese (1573‒1626), the younger son of the Duke of Parma who had been made cardinal at the age of 18. Having inherited the family palace in 1592, he sought to embellish a building that had been under construction for several decades. With it came one of the most exquisite collections of antique sculptures amassed in Rome in the 16th century.

The young cardinal Farnese turned to the Carracci brothers, outstanding artists from Bologna, who came to visit the cardinal in 1594. Annibale moved to Rome the following year, initially decorating the cardinal’s study with a series dedicated to the deeds of Hercules before undertaking the ambitious project in the palace’s gallery. In their native Bologna, Annibale, his brother Agostino and their older cousin Lodovico, ran a well-established workshop and had founded an academy of painting in the early 1580s that trained an entire generation of Baroque artists such as Guido Reni, Domenichino, Francesco Albani and Guercino.

Once in Rome, Annibale and Agostino Carracci drew inspiration from antique sculptures and celebrated works of painters such as Michelangelo and Raphael, creating an idealised image of the classical world that celebrated the loves of the gods. The completion of the main part of the ceiling coincided with the marriage of the cardinal’s brother, the Duke of Parma, Ranuccio Farnese, to Margherita Aldobrandini, in 1600. The ‘Galleria Farnese’ as it came to be called was enormously influential on future generations of artists who marvelled at both the Farnese collection and the Carracci’s artistic achievements. 

These cartoons are the work principally of Agostino, the older of the two, but Annibale may also have played a part in their execution. Created to transfer the designs onto wet plaster, their survival is remarkable and as such speaks to the significance given to the drawings shortly after their creation. They came into the National Gallery collection in 1837 as part of a gift by Lord Francis Egerton. Prior to this they had been owned by the artist Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769‒1830), a testament to their continued importance as sources of artistic inspiration and training. 'The Carracci Cartoons: Myths in the Making' will invite visitors to look closely at these rare examples of artistic inventiveness, providing insight into both the techniques used to create the monumental frescoes, and the Carracci brothers’ own creative process of design and refinement.

Dr Christine Seidel, Associate Curator (Renaissance Painting), says ‘The Carracci cartoons are thrilling displays of creativity and imagination. We are delighted to present a fascinating glimpse into the creation of one of the most ambitious fresco decorations produced in Rome at the dawn of the Baroque.’

The H J Hyams Exhibition Programme
Supported by The Capricorn Foundation

Notes to editors

Press view: Tuesday 8 April 2025
Image credits:

Agostino Carracci
Cephalus carried off by Aurora in her Chariot 
Charcoal and white chalk on paper
202.5 × 398.8 cm
about 1599

The National Gallery is one of the greatest art galleries in the world. Founded by Parliament in 1824, the Gallery houses the nation’s collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the late 13th to the early 20th century. The collection includes works by Bellini, Cezanne, Degas, Leonardo, Monet, Raphael, Rembrandt, Renoir, Rubens, Titian, Turner, Van Dyck, Van Gogh and Velázquez. The Gallery’s key objectives are to enhance the collection, care for the collection and provide the best possible access to visitors. Admission free. 

On 10 May 2024 the National Gallery was 200 years old, and we started our Bicentenary celebration, a year-long festival of art, creativity and imagination, marking two centuries of bringing people and paintings together. 

Also on display at the National Gallery at the same time:

Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350 (8 March – 22 June)

José María Velasco: A View of Mexico (29 March – 17 August)

For more information
National Gallery Press Office on 020 7747 2865 or email  press.external@nationalgallery.org.uk  
Publicity images can be obtained from ttps://press.nationalgallery.org.uk/ 

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