Alessandro Algardi

Alessandro Algardi (July 31, 1595, Bologna, Papal States [Italy]—June 10, 1654, Rome) was one of the most important Roman sculptors of the 17th century working in the Baroque style. Initial training under the Bolognese Lodovico Carracci decisively influenced Alessandro Algardi’s art: exposure to the classically tempered realism of the Carracci school underpinned Algardi’s style, which embodied both classicism and the High Baroque. After carving ivory and modeling figures and ornaments for Duke Ferdinando Gonzaga in Mantua, Algardi settled in Rome by 1625. For ten years, he restored ancient sculpture while becoming known for portrait busts that captured both inward character and details of appearance. In Rome, his constant interaction with ancient classical statuary influenced his own sculpture. Algardi received his first major sculptural commission at age forty, the tomb of Pope Leo XI. His large, influential workshop included Domenico Guidi, Ercole Ferrata, Michel Anguier, and Giovanni Francesco Grimaldi. Copies of Algardi’s sculptures spread throughout Europe, inspiring such artists as Edme Bouchardon.