The Creative Process Behind Federico Barocci's Drawings

Barocci's study of sculpture, which was an important starting point for him, is almost always hidden in favour of the principle of verisimilitude.

The drawing, a study for the frescoes of the Casino of Pius IV (1561-1563) - a significant papal commission which the artist received during his second stay in Rome - is one of the few examples in which the use of a sculpture as a model clearly shows, although the specific prototype has not been identified. The work appears to demonstrate an interest in both antique works and contemporary art, such as that of Bartolomeo Ammannati at Villa Giulia.

In his preparatory studies for the "Immaculate Conception" (circa 1575, Urbino, National Gallery of the Marche), classical statues are also used as models, perhaps filtered through a Raphaelesque interpretation of ancient art. This study focuses on the drapery and volume of the figures.

Alongside extremely abstract figures and those resulting from anatomical studies from life, we also find stylised models which reveal the artist's use of mannequins. This practice, which had been in use since the 15th century, is in evidence in this sketch, in which the artist analyses the pose and drapery of the seated tyrant in "The Martyrdom of Saint Vitalis" (1580-1583, Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera).

In this drawing, the study of the pose of one of the executioners in "The Martyrdom of Saint Vitalis" (1580-1583, Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera) reveals a peculiar process in which we observe the tension between the abstract and the real. On top of the initial stylised concept, where only the outline is sketched out using charcoal, a second and better-defined figure is added in red chalk, especially for the anatomy of the lower half of the body.

The chiaroscuro effect, which aims to give a sense of volume to the angel's body, is obtained by a sparing use of the paper and a soft use of the red chalk. It therefore seems clear that Barocci was capable of interpreting nature with a sensitivity demostrated, over roughly the same period, also by Annibale Carracci (Bologna, 1560 - Rome, 1609) in Bologna.

In this drawing, believed to be a preparatory study for "The Calling of Saint Andrew", now located in Brussels (1580-1583, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium), the artist created various iterations of the saint not only to perfect his pose but also to examine the spatial relationship between the saint and Christ, who is seen from behind. In the following drawings, in which Barocci studies the two figures separately, the composition seems to be quite literally reversed with regard to the initial concept.

Here, Barocci studies the figure of Saint Andrew in reverse with respect to the previous sheet, with inverse positioning of the arms and legs. The pose seems more balanced and solid, and the slightly twisted torso and inclined head lend a sense of dynamism to the work. The artist's close attention to anatomy is linked to his interest in chiaroscuro; the shade that can clearly be seen behind the figure already creates the idea of a powerful source of light from the right, and this was also used in the final painting.

The artist also extends his study to the three-dimensional development of the figure. The prominent lighting effects, produced by a masterful use of white chalk, tend to shatter and obliterate the underlying lines.

This is an initial study for the figure of Brother Leone in the altarpiece depicting "The Stigmata of Saint Francis", painted between 1594 and 1595 for the main altar of the Capuchin church in Urbino, and now displayed at the National Gallery of the Marche. It is one of a series of four drawings which are linked by the use of the pen and diluted ink technique, as well as similar style and form characteristics. In this sequence, the figure is developed through continuous and seamless reworking.

Barocci examines another possibility for Brother Leone, which brings to mind an etching by Niccolò Boldrini (based on an original idea by Titian) depicting the same subject. The artist's final solution for his painting is therefore a composite, achieved through a lengthy development process.

The varied reiteration reflects the speed and complexity of the artist's thought process as it gradually shapes the figures, as the sketch for "The Deposition" in Perugia Cathedral (1568-1569) demonstrates. Barocci experimented with several variations of the position of the Virgin and the devout woman supporting her, and analyses one of the poses of the nude male model. Each study is very specific in terms of both style and form, but is subordinate to the unique intent within the context of the overall work.

In his countless studies of details, including the preparatory sketch for the Virgin Mary in the "Madonna del Gatto" (circa 1574, London, The National Gallery), Barocci considers variations which are often so minimal as to be imperceptible. His persistent reworking of every element seems to ally perfectly with his constant search (although this played a secondary role to the principle of verisimilitude) for "decorum" and "varietas" (variety) in his choice of poses and expressions.

The artist, who was particularly interested in investigating the various manifestations of movement, eventually reinvented the practice of studying a model and overcoming the static nature of it in order to create dynamic poses. In some cases, the artist portrays an action being carried out by depicting individual anatomical details and then reworking them, as in the study for "The Martyrdom of Saint Vitalis" (1580-1583, Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera).

Time and space extend across the two dimensions of a single sheet of paper, creating a cinema-like sequence. In this study for "The Assumption of the Virgin", the downward motion of the apostle's body is captured; it seems to happen in front of our eyes as he leans forwards to look into the empty tomb.

The close link between the various planning stages is demonstrated in two drawings for the fresco of the Holy Family which occupies a central position on the vaulted ceiling of the first room of the Casino of Pius IV in Rome (1561-1563).
Barocci depicts the whole scene with quick strokes of the pen, reworking and seamlessly integrating them to model the figures, the relationships between them and the surrounding area in more detail.

The artist then focuses his attention on a single section of the composition, the left side to be precise, depicting the figures with varying degrees of definition. These figures are then re-examined separately, even on the reverse side of the sheet.

In light of its unusual circular shape, the drawing could be a rare study for a majolica plate. We can clearly see the tension between the artist's rapid thought process and his attention to specific compositional details, the contrast between light and shade in particular. Another aspect that stands out is Barocci's ability to balance the figures with the surrounding landscape, using vibrant pen strokes in a technique that the artist himself seems to have invented, "scarpigno" : quickly-drawn sketches in which the initial idea for the composition emerges from an intricate tangle of lines.

“Cartoncini per il chiaroscuro” (chiaroscuro cartoons), a type of drawing that Barocci introduced, are used for studying lighting effects in detail. In his study for "The Circumcision", a painting completed in 1590 which now hangs in the Louvre, the artist fine-tunes the composition of the scene, with particular attention to his analysis of the chiaroscuro contrast.