Annibale Carracci was an Italian painter and engraver who was already considered one of the most important contemporary artists during his lifetime. At the beginning of the 1580s, Annibale Carracci, together with his brother Agostino and his cousin Ludovico, founded the Accademia degli Incamminati (Academy of the Progressive) in Bologna. It was one of the first art academies in Italy and a meeting place for progressive artists. Guido Reni and Domenichino were among the students trained at the Academy. Aim of its artists was to reform Mannerist art, by focusing on the intensive study of nature and the ideals of the Renaissance. After the Carraccis had made a name for themselves in their home town with numerous commissions, especially for churches, Annibale and Agostino were invited to Rome in 1594 by Cardinal Odoardo Farnese. From 1596 to 1597, Annibale frescoed the ceiling of the cardinal's private study in the Palazzo Farnese. Annibale executed his main work between 1597 and 1601: under the motto "The Power of Love" he decorated the ceiling of the Galleria Farnese with mythological allegories. The frescoes had a significant influence on the development of Roman Baroque painting. Concurrently with the great fresco project, Annibale produced altarpieces and works for private commissioners. He spent the rest of his life almost exclusively in Rome. On a trip to Naples in 1609, he fell seriously ill and died shortly after his return to Rome. At his own request, Annibale Carracci was buried in the Pantheon.