Two artist brothers from Bologna in northern Italy, Annibale and Agostino Carracci, visit Rome in 1594. They are about to take on a huge commission – to decorate rooms in the great Farnese Palace. A private family residence, its owner, Odoardo Farnese newly elected cardinal aged just 20, had inherited great wealth.
Having finished the cardinal’s study, in 1597 they start work on the palace’s vast gallery. How to prepare? Two huge charcoal drawings on paper tell us this story. They are preparatory drawings for the hall’s monumental fresco. The word cartoon comes from the Italian ‘cartone’ meaning a large sheet of paper. As well as being a vital part of the creative process, they are works of art in their own right.
Alive with mythical sea creatures, gods and goddesses, putti and crashing waves, the drawings reflect the inspiration the Carracci brothers found in Rome’s antique sculptures and recent works by their predecessors, Michelangelo and Raphael.
Remarkable survivors of art in the making, the cartoons offer a window into the brothers’ ideas, creative process and technique.