In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the Bolognese School became the most important starting point for Baroque painting throughout Europe. A number of art academies were founded in Bologna at this time, particularly that of the Carracci family, whose teachings emphasised both the study of nature and the importance of ancient and Renaissance art. In 1595 Annibale Carracci was called to Rome and he was quickly followed by many of the best Bolognese artists who dominated fresco painting in Rome in the first quarter of the 17th century.
School of Ludovico Carracci 
