Alessandro Algardi

Alessandro Algardi ( born July 31, 1598 Bologna, † June 10, 1654 in Rome ) was an Italian sculptor and architect. He is next to Bernini as the main champion of the Roman Baroque sculpture.

Algardi was the son of the silk merchant Giuseppe Algardi. He received his first artistic training in his hometown in the studio of the painter Ludovico Carracci. Later Algardi but turned more to sculpture and was trained in the workshop of the sculptor Giulio Cesare Conventi. While Algardi learned at Conventi, he made ​​the acquaintance of architect Gabrielle Bertazzuoli. At 24, he got through the mediation Bertazzuolis a job in Mantua at the court of Duke Ferdinand and produced there for the most part models for different silver work.

Equipped with a generous scholarship undertook Algardi to 1623 a long study trip to Venice and in 1625 a to Rome. When his patron died and more orders failed, Algardi began for Cardinal Ludovisi, nephew of Pope Gregory XV. to work. For Ludovisi he restored antiques, worked as an ivory carver and also created smaller bronzes. By 1630, he made friends with the painter Domenico Zampieri, called Domenichino, and worked in the following years, often along with this.

1640 Algardi entrusted you with the management of the Accademia di San Luca. In this position, he was again enhanced public contracts. One of the first client would be here Pietro Buoncompagni mentioned, which was a group of figures with Saint Philip Neri in order. Pope Innocent X appointed Algardi 1644 as the successor of Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini to his court sculptor. At the papal court Algardi was mainly competing as an architect, as Pope Innocent wanted to have the Capitol generous and expanded.

But even private residences for the Pope's family fell into Algardi task pane. He designed, inter alia, Villa Doria Pamphili for a nephew and she adorned also with his own works. This Algardi was always in competition with his colleague Francesco Mochi. Algardi importance is also reflected in the fact that François de Sublet de Noyers wanted to poach to the royal court to Paris him at this time. Cardinal Jules Mazarin in 1648 made ​​also a futile attempt.

The two most important students of this period were Giuseppe Ercole Ferrata and Perroni. You were there when Algardi 1650 saw the culmination of his artistic career. On the occasion of an anniversary be marble relief of Attila was expulsion presented by Pope Leo I. to the public in St. Peter's Basilica. It consisted of several huge blocks of marble, which in four years mainly worked Algardi with his assistant Domenico Guidi. A detailed model of the relief of silver, also manufactured by Algardi, gave the Pope Philip IV, King of Spain.

In his last years Algardi delegated more and more work and was always more active as a consultant. Among his most important students may Ercole Ferrata addition, Domenico Guidi and Giuseppe Girolamo Perroni also Lucenti, Francesco Baratta, and Giovanni Maria Baratta be counted.

At the age of 56 years Alessandro Algardi died on June 10, 1654 in Rome. His final resting place he found in the church of San Giovanni e Petronio de Bolognese.

Algardi considered as an equal colleague of Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini. Since Algardi almost had worked all his life as a sculptor, draws his artistic work from an incredible attention to detail; However, it lacks the certain liveliness Bernini.