
Alessandro Algardi (1598-1654) was an Italian sculptor who served as the leading rival to Gian Lorenzo Bernini in Baroque Rome. Born in Bologna, he trained under Ludovico Carracci before moving to Rome in 1625. While Bernini dominated papal commissions under Urban VIII, Algardi found his moment when Innocent X took the throne and favored a more restrained classical approach.
His monumental marble relief of Pope Leo and Attila in St. Peter's Basilica is one of the largest marble reliefs ever carved. Algardi's portrait busts are prized for their psychological depth and precise naturalism, offering a cooler, more intellectual alternative to Bernini's theatrical intensity.
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