Apart from his Venetian contemporaries, Correggio was the most important painter in northern Italy in the first half of the 16th century. He was mainly active in Parma, where also his most important works are to be found: the illusionistic dome frescoes in the cathedral and the church of San Giovanni Evangelista. With their dramatism and technical virtuosity, they are harbingers of the Baroque and influenced generations of artists. His numerous panel paintings showing mainly religious and mythological subjects were ordered by private commissioners and ecclesiastical institutions. Information about his character is provided only by Vasari's biography, who describes him as shy and virtuous. According to Vasari, Correggio owned several scientific and humanist manuscripts, which suggests that he was more educated than the average 16th century painter. While Correggio was much in demand but relatively unknown during his lifetime, his posthumous fame was enormous: in the 17th and the 18th century, he was, along with Raphael, the most important model for many painters. His work had a great influence on artists such as Federico Barocci and the Carraccis.