Graffiti and inscriptions in the Carracci Gallery of the Palazzo Farnese in Rome (which houses the French Embassy in Italy).
The photographic campaign was carried out as part of an international research project entitled Carracci ConservArt, led by the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), the Soprintendenza Speciale Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Roma, the Ministero della Cultura, the Académie de France à Rome – Villa Medici, and the École française de Rome.
Discovered during the latest comprehensive restoration campaign, the graffiti and inscriptions on the walls of the Carracci Gallery reveal the lived experience of the space. More than a hundred inscriptions, sketches, studies, and signatures bear witness to the profound impact that the Carracci frescoes had on European art. Created mainly by artists in the 17th and 18th centuries, the sheer variety of these graffiti reflects the highly diverse aspects of learning practices and academic training.
The photographs were taken for a publication dedicated to this unprecedented rediscovery, scheduled for publication in 2026.
This gallery presents a selection from the series.
