Manure Collector after 1585

Annibale Carracci made this drawing of a Manure Collector with pen and brown ink. It is a depiction of a low subject in a high style. Carracci was working in Bologna in the late 16th century, when the status of art and artists was a topic of debate. The founding of the Accademia degli Incamminati, by Carracci and others, sought to improve the social standing of artists by demonstrating that they were capable of intellectual and creative accomplishments. This drawing reflects the influence of the academy. By ennobling a low subject with academic techniques of representation, Carracci may have sought to demonstrate that art could find beauty and worth even in the most mundane aspects of everyday life. We can better understand this artwork by exploring the cultural history of the academy through archival sources such as letters, treatises, and biographies of artists. We can gain insights into the complex interplay between artistic creation, social values, and institutional structures.