Jacopo della Quercia

Jacopo della Quercia (c. 1374 or 1367 in Quercegrossa, Castelnuovo Berardenga near Siena, † October 20, 1438 in Siena ) was a famous Italian sculptor of the early Renaissance.

Life

Jacopo della Quercia is known as a pioneer of the Renaissance because of his schooled in the ancient world through education of the human body and is considered the greatest Sienese sculptor. He worked mainly in Siena, Bologna and Lucca.

In 1401 he took part in the Florentine competition to design the north portal part of the Baptistery of San Giovanni and was defeated by Lorenzo Ghiberti. From 1425 he designed the reliefs on the main door of the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna.

He was the son of a wood sculptor and goldsmith, Piero di Angelo (also: Petro Agnolo, or Piero d' Angelo di Guarneri ) born. He had at least one brother, Priamo. About his life is otherwise little known, secured in addition to its main places of activity stays in Florence, Milan, Venice and Verona. Among his pupils was Antonio Federighi.

His major works included the design of the fountain Fonte Gaia in Piazza del Campo in Siena. The figures were replaced mid-19th century by Tito Sarrocchi true to the original, the originals are now in the Museum of Santa Maria della Scala in space Fienile.

Giorgio Vasari wrote in the second volume of Le vite a biography of della Quercia.

Major works

• High reliefs of the Fonte Gaia (1409-1419) on the Piazza del Campo in Siena
• Grave of Ilaria del Carretto (1406) in the Cathedral of Lucca
• Baptistery of San Giovanni (from 1417 )
• Reliefs on the main door of the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna (since 1425)