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Alessandro Algardi (July 31,1598 - June 10, 1654),
was an Italy|Italian sculptor.

He was born at Bologna.  While attending the
school of Agostino Carracci his preference for
sculpture became evident, and he placed himself
under the instruction of the sculptor Conventi. At
the age of twenty he was brought under the notice
of Ferdinand, Duke of Mantua, who gave him several
commissions. He was also much employed about the
same period by jewellers and other craftsmen,
modelling in gold, silver and ivory.

After a short residence in Venice he went to Rome
in 1625 with an introduction from the Duke of
Mantua to the pope's nephew, Cardinal Ludovisi,
who employed him for a time in the restoration of
ancient statues. The duke's death left him to his
own resources, and for several years he earned a
precarious living from these restorations and the
commissions of goldsmiths and jewellers.  In 1640
he created, for Pietro Buoncompagni, his first
work in marble, a  colossal statue of Philip Neri,
with kneeling angels. Immediately after this, he
produced a similar group, representing the
execution of Paul of Tarsus|Saint Paul, for the
church of the Barnabite Fathers in Bologna.  These
works, displaying great technical skill, though
with considerable exaggeration of expression and
attitude, at once established Algardi's
reputation, and other commissions quickly
followed.

The turning point in Algardi's fortune was the
accession of Pope Innocent X, of the Bolognese
house of Panfili, to the papal throne in 1644. He
was employed by Camino Panfili, nephew of the
pontiff, to design the Villa Doria Panfili outside
the San Pancrazio gate. The most important of
Algardi's other works are in the Vatican: the
monument of Pope Leo XI, a bronze statue of
Innocent X for the capitol, and most prominently
La Fuga d'Attila or Papa Leone ferma Attila (the
flight of Attila or Pope Leo meeting Atilla). This
large dramatic marble alto-relievo reinvigorated
the use of marble in reliefs. The two principal
figures, the stern and courageous pope and the
fleeing and frightened Atilla, surge from the
center. Only they see they two can see the
descending angelic warriers rallying to the pope's
defense; while all others persist in daily duty.
In a reference to his patron, Algardi has
harnessed the legend that a Leonine pope, with
supernatural aide, detered the Huns from looting
Rome. So hoped Leo XI to impress all that the
papacy could beckon divine retribution against
enemies. The marble relief beckons instead to see
the mastery of control: the papal injunction both
hearkens the cringing heathen to faith and calls
forth the smiting angels. This is passionate
action restrained by stone relief.

In 1650 Algardi met Diego Velasquez, who obtained
some interesting commissions for his Italian
companion in Spain. There are four chimneys by
Algardi in the palace of Aranjuez, where the
figures on the fountain of Neptune (god)|Neptune
were also by him. The Augustine monastery at
Salamanca contains the tomb of the count and
countess de Monterey, another work by Algardi. 
From an artistic point of view, he was most
successful in portrait-statues and groups of
children, where he was obliged to follow nature
most closely. In his later years he became
avaricious and amassed a great fortune.  He died
in Rome.

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1911