ALGARDI, ALESSANDRO

(1595-1654)

Bolognesesculptor who trained with Giulio Cesare Conventi. In c. 1625, Algardi went toRomeand there he worked withDomenichino. He also restored antiques and produced small-scale sculptures for collectors. When Innocent X was elected to the papacy in 1644 andGian Lorenzo Berninitemporarily fell in disfavor, Algardi's career began to flourish. Though the two men were rivals, Algardi'sSt.Mary Magdalen(c. 1628; Rome, San Silvestro al Quirinale) was influenced by Bernini's statue of St.Bibiana in the church of the same appellation. One of Algardi's most notable works is theTomb of Pope Leo XI(1634-1644; Rome,St.Peter's), commissioned by Leo's grand-nephew, Cardinal Roberto Ubaldini, which borrows from Bernini'sTomb of PopeUrban VIII, at St. Peter's (1628-1647). In both, an enthronedeffigyis centered between twoVirtues. Yet, while Bernini used colored marble with varying vein patterns, Algardi preferred a pure white marble. Also, Algardi rejected the transient elements of Bernini's work in favor of a sense of permanence. Areliefin the front of the sarcophagus shows the conversion ofHenry IV of Franceto Catholicism, a triumphant event Leo negotiated for the Church while cardinal legate in France. The large relief at St. Peter's titled theMeeting of Attila and Pope Leo the Great(1646-1653) is another of Algardi's great achievements. The idealized,classicizedvocabulary he normally used reached its greatest height in this relief.