Gifted Italian Baroque artist Agostino Carracci (1557 – 1602) initially attained fame for engravings regarded as pinnacles of perfection. From a family of painters, Carracci left his tailoring profession to become an artist. Rejecting the Mannerist style of distorting space and anatomy, Carracci produced lifelike artworks. His meticulous drawings of human anatomy were used as indispensable educational tools for 200 years after his death. Together with his brother and cousin, he established an art academy that emphasized drawing from real life. Carracci also collaborated with his brother on the colossal Farnese Palace gallery ceiling, which profoundly impacted future painters.

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