A Seated Man Declaiming from a Book

Baccio Bandinelli was an Italian sculptor and artist who lived during the Renaissance. Born in Florence in 1493, he was the son of a prominent goldsmith. Bandinelli began his artistic training with his father, but later studied with the famous sculptor Jacopo Sansovino. Bandinelli is best known for his large-scale sculptures, often depicting mythological or historical figures. His most famous work is the statue of Hercules and Cacus, commissioned by Pope Clement VII for the Piazza della Signoria in Florence. The statue, which depicts Hercules fighting the monster Cacus, is considered one of the greatest works of Renaissance sculpture. In addition to sculpture, Bandinelli was also an accomplished painter and architect. He worked on several important architectural projects in Florence, including the Palazzo Bartolini Salimbeni and the Palazzo Borgherini-Rosselli del Turco. Despite his success as an artist, Bandinelli was known for his difficult personality and often clashed with other artists and patrons. He died in Florence in 1560 at the age of 67.