- Giovanni Battista Foggini
Giovanni Battista Foggini (
April 25 ,1652 -April 12 ,1737 ) was an Italian sculptor active inFlorence , renowned mainly for small bronze statuary.Biography
Born in Florence, the young Foggini was sent to Rome by the
Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany to join the so-called "Accademia Fiorentina", and apprentice in the Roman sculptural studio ofErcole Ferrata , a pupil of Algardi. He was also tutored in drawing by the Accademia's first director (1673-1686),Ciro Ferri , who was a pupil of Cortona. Returning to Florence in 1676, he became the court sculptor forCosimo III [See Foggini's [http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/09/eustc/hod_1993.332.1,2.htm portrait of the duke] ] .After the son of
Pietro Tacca , Fernando, died in 1686, the mantle of the premier local sculptor fell to Foggini, who would become the Medici's "Architetto Primario e Primo scultore della Casa Serenissima" as well as "Soprintendente dei Lavori" (1687-1725) [Cannon-Brookes, p. 778] . In 1687, Foggini acquired the foundry inBorgo Pinti that had once belonged to the sculptorGiambologna . This allowed him to specialize in small bronzes [See Web Gallery of Art [http://www.wga.hu/html/f/foggini/timeravi.html image] .] , produced mainly and profitably for export.In Florence, his masterpieces are his sculptural relief work in the Capella
Corsini of the Chiesa del Carmine. The chapel was erected by Bartolomeo and Cardinal Neri Corsini in memory of their recently canonized [Died 1373 and canonized in 1629 byUrban VIII ] ancestral family member, San Andrea Corsini. It contains three large marble reliefs depicting his life: "San Andrea in Glory", [http://www.wga.hu/html/f/foggini/standrea.html "The Mass of San Andrea Corsini"] and [http://www.wga.hu/html/f/foggini/anghiari.html "The Battle of Anghiari"] (1685-87). He also completed works in Cappella Feroni in the Annunziata. Another work is the main staircase of theMedici-Riccardi Palace inFlorence .Ferrata's pupils included
Fernando Fuga , his nephewFilippo della Valle ,Balthasar Permoser , andGiovanni Baratta .Massimiliano Soldani Benzi was a contemporary student with Foggini in Rome and also active in small bronze sculpture.Notes
External links
*cite book | first= Rudolf|last= Wittkower| year=1993| title= Art and Architecture Italy, 1600-1750| chapter= | editor= Pelican History of Art| others=1980 | publisher= Penguin Books | id= | url= | authorlink=
*cite book | author= Bruce Boucher| year=1998| title= Italian Baroque Sculpture| chapter= | editor= Thames & Hudson, World of Art| others= | pages= 164-66; 188-89 | publisher= | id= | url= | authorlink=
* "Gli Ultimi Medici", Review by Peter Cannon-Brookes, in "The Burlington Magazine", 1974, p 777-80.
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