The draughtsman Federico Barocci. The hive of images

At the core of the exhibition lies Roberta Aliventi's long-term research on the vast and articulated graphic group of works by Federico Barocci (Urbino, 1533/1535 - 1612) preserved in the Uffizi collections.

The exhibition, which includes thirty-eight drawings and is characterised by a predominantly thematic order, aims to visualise the dynamics and understand the meanings of the artist's creative process. A profound complexity and laboriousness illustrate Barocci's preparatory method, characterised by a masterly use of a wide range of drawing techniques, often employed experimentally, as in the case of the pastel. The focus is on peculiar aspects such as the varied ways of constructing the figure and individual details, with particular attention to the technique of variegated reiteration that fully responds to both practical and mental needs. Indeed, from an initial graphic elaboration, Federico subjects his inventions to constant cognitive investigation to experiment with every possible formal solution. In the exhibition, in addition to examples that reveal the construction methods of the individual figures, it is also possible to admire some composition studies aimed at analysing more articulated scenes: from the first sketches to models verging on the pictorial version.

The exhibition also establishes a stimulating dialogue with the exhibition Raffaello Parmigianino Barocci. Gaze Metaphors (Rome, Musei Capitolini, Palazzo Caffarelli, 2 October 2015 - 10 January 2016) realised in collaboration with the Department of Prints and Drawings of the Uffizi and curated by Marzia Faietti. There, the processes of assimilation and differentiation to which Barocci subjected his manifold models are inquired through the emulative comparison with Raphael.

The online catalogue has been conceived as a work in progress, composed of files that deal, in most cases, with the analysis of graphic sequences, i.e. groups of interconnected sheets. This choice has a triple purpose: it makes it possible to highlight the links between the works exhibited here and those selected for the exhibition at the Capitoline Museums; it fully restores the specificity of Federico Barocci's modus operandi; and it makes visible the results of the reclassifications carried out, as part of the Euploos Project, on the collection of drawings traditionally attributed to Barocci.

The digital catalogue of the exhibition can be accessed on the Euploos Project website.