Boy Drinking

From the museum

Together with his brother Agostino and cousin Lodovico, Annibale Carracci introduced artistic reforms in Italy based on close observation of the natural world. Annibale’s innovative and highly influential style steered a path between the smooth artificiality of Mannerism––in which style and technique took precedence over fidelity to nature––and the heightened drama of paintings by Caravaggio. In this remarkable early work, the coarse surface of the canvas, the inelegant subject matter, and the striking distortion of forms from light passing through glass all speak to his naturalistic approach. In this painting, the reflective quality of the jug enhances its naturalism: notice how it throws light onto the boy's shirt.

The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC0