- NameFederico Barocci
- Sexmale
- Nationality/DatesItalian, born 1535 (?), dead 1612
- PlacesPlace of birth: Urbino, Italien
Place of death: Urbino, Italien
BiographyFederico Barocci was born into a family of artists.
He was first apprenticed to his father Ambrogio
Barocci, a skilled watchmaker, and to Battista
Franco. In 1549 Barocci was sent to Pesaro to his
uncle, the architect Bartolomeo Genga. Here he
was taught geometry, perspective and architecture,
and also had the opportunity to study the
Della Rovere collection, with works by Titian and
other Venetian masters. In the 1550s Barocci went
to Rome for further studies, entering the circle of
Cardinal Giulio Feltrio Della Rovere (1535–1578),
from whom he received several commissions.
In 1557 he returned to Urbino, and dating from
this period is his Martyrdom of St Sebastian in
the city’s cathedral. In 1560 Barocci once again
returned to Rome for an important papal assignment:
the decoration of the Casino Pio IV in the
Vatican Gardens (1561–63). Soon after, in 1563,
illness forced him to return to his native city. He
spent the rest of his days, with only brief absences,
in Urbino and, despite frail health, remained
productive and continued to receive important
commissions throughout his life. His Madonna
del Popolo (Uffizi, Florence) is from 1579, and his
Entombment in the Chiesa della Croce in Senigallia
from 1582. Barocci worked slowly. He was
a skilful draughtsman and his complex painting
process required innumerable preparatory drawings
and lighting, gestural and compositional
sketches. Barocci was inspired by a wide range of
Renaissance artists, including Raphael, Correggio,
Leonardo da Vinci and Titian. He created a
unique style that combined extraordinary colour
with dynamic figures in elaborate compositions,
and his work foreshadowed the Baroque.