Five numbered scenes, each after a painter in the Accademia Degl'Incamminati, from IL FUNERALE D'AGOSTINO CARRACCIO FATTO IN BOLOGNA SUA PATRIA DAGL'INCAMINATI Academici del Disegno: 1. Virtue vanquishing Envy and Fortune, painted by Giulio Cesare Parigino; 2. Apollo and the Muses at the tomb of Agostino Carracci, painted by Luigi Valesio; 3. Mercury pointing to a constellation with the personification of Painting and that of the city of Bologna, Felsina, painted by Aurelio Benelli; 4. Personification of Painting being comforted by Poetry, and the personification of a river at right, painted by Lodovico Carracci; 5. Allegory of Knowledge and Vigilance chasing Envy out of Heaven, painted by Lorenzo Garbieri. 1603

Curator: This print from 1603 presents "Five numbered scenes, each after a painter in the Accademia Degl'Incamminati, from IL FUNERALE D'AGOSTINO CARRACCIO FATTO IN BOLOGNA SUA PATRIA DAGL'INCAMINATI Academici del Disegno..." quite a mouthful. Editor: Oh my, that title! It feels so packed, just like the composition itself. I find it somewhat overwhelming to look at; the sheer volume of allegorical figures jostling for space... it's Baroque on steroids, isn't it? Curator: In a way, yes. It’s a tribute to Agostino Carracci after his death, made by his fellow artists in Bologna. Each of these five scenes commemorates him, using allegory and symbolism... classic stuff from the time. The print captures designs attributed to artists such as Giulio Cesare Parigino, Luigi Valesio, Aurelio Benelli, Lodovico Carracci, and Lorenzo Garbieri. Editor: Ah, so each section showcases the artistic style of a different hand—a collective eulogy in images. Interesting. Looking closer, I notice how the images are fighting for space, even if, together, they make an artwork. It has this almost frantic energy, everyone performing grief. The imagery seems… rehearsed. Curator: Precisely. The figures of Virtue, Apollo, Mercury... they're all pulled from the shared visual vocabulary of the era. This wasn’t meant to be raw, individual emotion. The images of knowledge chasing Envy could relate to contemporary artistic squabbles, but also stand as classic allegories, not just personal insults. Editor: It makes one think about how grief is culturally performed—the symbols we lean on when facing loss. Take for instance the scene with Apollo and the Muses; we expect them at a funeral for a great artist, because isn't Apollo associated with knowledge and inspiration? The reliance on familiar figures to express something so profoundly personal. It is beautiful and terrible, and it shows what that knowledge really means for humanity and society. Curator: Exactly, the print as a record and remembrance of Carracci in a formal and traditional way, with a heavy influence of Baroque imagery. Editor: Reflecting on it, it’s less about feeling deeply, and more about performing deeply, showing how deeply grief permeates cultural awareness, and vice versa. That’s not a bad thing, necessarily. It makes you consider these shared stories and symbology we use. Curator: A grand statement on artistry, grief, and cultural legacy, etched in ink.