Algardi, Alessandro [key], 1595–1654, Italian sculptor and designer, b. Bologna. He studied under Lodovico Carracci. In Rome his friend Domenichino obtained his first commissions for him, the Magdalene and St. John statues for San Silvestro al Quirinale. When Bernini temporarily fell from favor, Algardi replaced him c.1644 as the most important sculptor in Rome under Pope Innocent X and received numerous commissions, including some from Spain. Although greatly influenced by Bernini, he retained the classical inclination of the Bolognese in his work, lacking Bernini's emotional vitality. An example of Algardi's work in relief is The Meeting of Leo and Attila (St. Peter's). A few prints in the style of Agostino Carracci are attributed to Algardi.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: European Art, 1600 to the Present: Biographies
