CARRACCI, or CARACCI, Agostino, Italian artist: b. Bologna 1558; d. Parma 1602. One of a family of artists who founded the Bolognese or Eclectic school of painting. He was a brother of Annibale Car racci, and distantly related to Lodovico Car racci, under whose guidance he studied art. He studied painting under Fontana and engrav ing with Tabaldi and Cornelis Cort. He at tamed great mastery in engraving, and en graved more pieces than he painted, in order, it is said, to please his brother Annibale, who be came envious of his fame after one of Agos tino's pictures had obtained a prize in prefer ence to one of his own, and another excellent icture— 'The Last Communion of Saint Jerome) (now in Pinacoteca of Bologna, 1592) —had gained his brother universal admiration. In 1600 Agostino accompanied Annibale to Rome, and assisted him in designing and paint ing the Farnesian Gallery. He painted the two principal features of the long walls, the 'Triumph of Galatea) and the 'Rape of Ce As many persons said that the en graver worked better than the painter, An nibale removed his brother, under the pre text that his style, though elegant, was not grand enough. Agostino went then to the
court cou of the Duke of arena, and painted there a picture representing the heavenly, the earthly and the venal love. There was only one figure wanting when, exhausted by labor and mortifi cation, he retired to a Capuchin monastery where he died. He wrote a treatise on per spective and architecture. As an engraver he deserves great praise, and often corrected the imperfect outlines of his originals. He left behind 278 plates, a large number of which are original. He was distinguished for his exact ness in drawing, his harmonious composition and the extreme delicacy of his coloring. For bibliography see CARRACCI, LODOVICO.