A Closer Look: Episode 39 - Federico Barocci’s Virgin Of The People
Urbino, a small duchy in mountainous central Italy, had a Renaissance reputation for punching above its weight.
It produced Duke Federico da Montefeltro, one of the fifteenth century’s most brilliant military strategists and enlightened lords, and it was at Federico’s court that Piero della Francesca would produce masterpieces such as the enigmatic Flagellation of Christ. Raphael’s father was a court painter in Urbino, and the young artist was informed by his childhood in the town. Baldassare Castiglione composed his Book of the Courtier here, with its notion of sprezzatura, the studied nonchalance that Italians still aspire to.
Urbino also gave us Federico Barocci, an accomplished artist whose control of colour, light, texture and brushwork foreshadow the baroque brilliance of Rubens. So why are we less likely to know Barocci? In this episode of A Closer Look, artist and art historian Dominique Millar joins us to explain more.
You can view a high resolution image of Federico Barocci's Virgin of the People here.
Dominique Millar
Dominique Millar is an artist and art historian who is well known for his courses on European art and its historical contexts.
DR KATHLEEN OLIVE
Kathleen is a specialist in Italian language and literature and has led tours to Italy, France, Spain, the USA, Japan and Australasia for more than fifteen years. Kathleen is a director of Limelight Arts Travel.