Alessandro Algardi

Lore & Background

Algardi was born in Bologna, where he apprenticed in the studio of Agostino Carracci and later worked for Giulio Cesare Conventi. His two earliest known works are chalk statues of saints in the Oratory of Santa Maria della Vita in Bologna. By age twenty, Ferdinando I, Duke of Mantua, began commissioning works from him. After a short residence in Venice, he went to Rome in 1625 with an introduction to Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi, who employed him in restoring ancient statues.

For nearly a decade in Rome, Algardi struggled for recognition while Bernini and his studio garnered most major commissions. His first major commission came in 1634 for the funeral monument of Pope Leo XI, completed mostly by 1644. The tomb mirrors Bernini's design for Urban VIII but is less dynamic, with allegorical figures of Magnanimity and Liberality showing impassive dignity. Works such as the colossal statue of Philip Neri and the beheading of Saint Paul established his reputation.

With the accession of Pope Innocent X in 1644, Algardi gained papal favor and Spanish commissions, including chimney-pieces for the Royal Palace of Aranjuez and fountain figures. His large high-relief marble panel 'Fuga d'Attila' (1646–1653) for St Peter's Basilica reinvigorated the use of such marble reliefs. He died in Rome within a year of completing it.

Reader's Guide

Alessandro Algardi's significance lies in his role as a leading alternative to Gian Lorenzo Bernini during the Roman high Baroque. While Bernini's work is characterized by dynamic drama and polychromatic excitement, Algardi's sculpture displays a restraining sobriety and classicized restraint more akin to François Duquesnoy. His portrait busts are noted for their great vivacity and dignity, with obsessive attention to psychologically revealing physiognomy and minute detail in costume and draperies. His large marble relief 'Fuga d'Attila' revived the use of monumental marble reliefs in Roman churches, depicting a moment of divine intervention with dramatic three-dimensionality. Algardi's classicizing manner was carried on by pupils including Ercole Ferrata, Domenico Guidi, and Antonio Raggi. His terracotta models, some finished works of art, were prized by collectors, and an outstanding series is at the Hermitage Museum. Though not renowned for architectural abilities, he oversaw the Villa Pamphili project. His legacy endures as a sculptor who combined Baroque emotional expression with a dignified, restrained naturalism.

Did You Know?

• Algardi's two earliest known works are chalk statues of saints in the Oratory of Santa Maria della Vita in Bologna.
• He met Diego Velázquez in 1650, which led to commissions from Spain including chimney-pieces at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.
• His large high-relief marble panel 'Fuga d'Attila' for St Peter's Basilica reinvigorated the use of such marble reliefs.
• An outstanding series of his terracotta models is held at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.