Severo da Ravenna

Severo Calzetta da Ravenna was an Italian Renaissance bronze sculptor active from the 1490s through the 1540s. Working in Padua, Ferrara, and his native Ravenna, he specialized in small-scale bronzes of mythological and classical subjects: dragons, satyrs, sea monsters, and figures drawn from ancient Roman art. His only securely documented work in marble is a St. John the Baptist (1500) in the Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua.

What set Severo apart was his ability to work in the all'antica style so convincingly that some of his bronzes were later mistaken for genuine Roman antiquities. He also produced functional objects like inkwells, candlesticks, and oil lamps in elaborate classical forms. Our collection features 6 works at the Cleveland Museum of Art.