A Brief Introduction to Federico Barocci

Considered one of the most influential painters of his time, Federico Barocci, was born in Urbino, Italy in 1533. His father was a watchmaker, however, Federico Barocci had early access to many of Titian’s works, due to the fact, many of Titian’s works made up the ducal art collections. Considered a Mannerist painter, Barocci traveled to Rome in the 1550s to further his studies. In the 1560s, he participated in a fresco project for Pope Pius IV with many other renowned artists. It was during this project he thought he had been poisoned by a jealous competitor. He would return to Urbino in 1563, where he would be chronically ill until his death in 1612.

The life of a painter during the 16^th century was dependent on the support of patrons. Federico Barocci had many patrons, including Pope Clement VIII, King Philip of Spain, and the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. Because of his patrons, he was the highest paid painter when he died in 1612. Since his death many painters, including Rebens, Annibale Carracci, and Guido Reni have been inspired by his unique style of painting.

Federico Barocci, Self Portrait, ca. 1600

Source: "Federico Barocci", The National Gallery. n.p., n.d., Web, 8 September 2013