Ercole Ferrata
Encyclopedia
Ercole Ferrata was an Italian
sculptor
of the Roman Baroque
.
, Ferrata initially apprenticed with Alessandro Algardi
, and became one of his prime assistants. When his mentor died, Ferrata and another pupil, Domenico Guidi
, completed Algardi's unfinished Vision of Saint Nicholas at San Nicola da Tolentino
; ultimately, the innovative arrangement of two independent but interactive groups derives from the original design by Algardi.
While Ferrata's initial work still owes much to Algardi, Ferrata distanced himself from the classical serenity found in the work of his mentor and Francois Duquesnoy
, and moved towards the expressive emotionalism of Gian Lorenzo Bernini
. He is best known for two works in Sant'Agnese in Agone
in Rome, the Bernini-inspired The Death of St. Agnes (1660-64) as well as the marble relief Stoning of St Emerenziana (1660). The latter has a restraint influenced by his mentor, Algardi, although the superior half was completed by one of his pupils, Leonardo Retti in 1689-1709. Under the leadership of Bernini, he sculpted the Angel with a Cross for the Ponte Sant'Angelo
and reportedly completed the elephant statue holding the obelisk in front of Santa Maria sopra Minerva
. Early in his career he worked with Cosimo Fanzago
and Giuliano Finelli
in Naples
. He also made the statue of Saint Catherine of Siena http://worldart.sjsu.edu/VieO13176$3511*320997 for the Chigi Chapel in the Duomo di Siena
. With Francesco Aprile he sculpted Sant'Anastasia in Santa Anastasia
in Rome, another statue resembling Bernini's famous dying Beata Ludovica Albertoni
.
In 1673, when Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany established an informal academy in the Villa Madama
in Rome, to give promising students an opportunity to study from antiquities, he placed it under the direction of Ercole Ferrata and the painter Ciro Ferri
, who had been collaborating with Pietro da Cortona
in frescoes for Palazzo Pitti
. In 1677, when the Grand Duke arranged to get his antique sculptures released from Rome, Ercole Ferrata was recalled to Florence to unpack and see to them. "A rather colourless, plodding sculptor whose gifts were best displayed in executing or imitating the conceptions of more imaginative artists, Ferrata nonetheless enjoyed a deserved reputation as an authority on the antique".
When a headless torso had been discovered a few years previously, during the opening of a new road to the Santa Maria in Vallicella
, the order of the Oratorians who owned the torso sent it to be "restored" by Ercole Ferrata, who essentially created the Faun Carrying a Kid, which after purchase by Queen Christina
, was sold in 1724 to Philip V of Spain
. Ferrata is less known for the documented fact that he provided the elegant arms for the Venus de' Medici
. "He showed remarkable flair in making just the kind of attractive additions to a mutilated statue which most appealed to connoisseurs", according to Francis Haskell and Nicholas Penny.
He worked along with Bernini creating a much admired fountain for the gardens palace of the Count of Ericeira in Lisbon - unfortunately lost along with the palace, great library and art collection due to the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755.
Of the generation after Bernini and Algardi, which included Domenico Guidi
and Antonio Raggi
, Ferrata led the most successful studio for training sculptors. Ferrata's pupils included the Florentine Foggini
as well as Caffà
, who acted as Ercole's studio assistant. In addition he trained Leonardo Retti, Francesco Aprile, Michele Maglia, Filippo Carcani, Giuseppe Mazzuoli, Lorenzo Ottoni
, and Giuseppe Rusnati
. Among his last pupils was Camillo Rusconi
, who moved to Rome in 1686 to work briefly in Ferrata's studio.
Ercole Ferrata died at Rome in 1686.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
of the Roman Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
.
Biography
A native of Pellio Inferiore, near ComoComo
Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como....
, Ferrata initially apprenticed with Alessandro Algardi
Alessandro Algardi
Alessandro Algardi was an Italian high-Baroque sculptor active almost exclusively in Rome, where for the latter decades of his life, he was the major rival of Gian Lorenzo Bernini.-Early years:...
, and became one of his prime assistants. When his mentor died, Ferrata and another pupil, Domenico Guidi
Domenico Guidi
Domenico Guidi was a prominent Italian Baroque sculptor.Born in Carrara, Guidi followed his uncle, the prominent sculptor, Giuliano Finelli to Naples. As the nephew of a sculptor noted for his feud with Bernini, it is not surprising that Guidi was never employed by the eminent master...
, completed Algardi's unfinished Vision of Saint Nicholas at San Nicola da Tolentino
San Nicola da Tolentino agli Orti Sallustiani
San Nicola da Tolentino agli Orti Sallustiani is a church in Rome. It is one of the two national churches of Armenia. The church was built for the Discalced Augustinians in 1599, and originally dedicated to the 13th century Augustinian monk, St...
; ultimately, the innovative arrangement of two independent but interactive groups derives from the original design by Algardi.
While Ferrata's initial work still owes much to Algardi, Ferrata distanced himself from the classical serenity found in the work of his mentor and Francois Duquesnoy
François Duquesnoy
François Duquesnoy was a Baroque sculptor in Rome. His more idealized representations are often contrasted with the emotional character of Bernini's works, while his style shows greater affinity to Algardi's sculptures....
, and moved towards the expressive emotionalism of Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo Bernini was an Italian artist who worked principally in Rome. He was the leading sculptor of his age and also a prominent architect...
. He is best known for two works in Sant'Agnese in Agone
Sant'Agnese in Agone
Sant'Agnese in Agone is a seventeenth century Baroque church in Rome, Italy. It faces onto the Piazza Navona, one of the main urban spaces in the historic centre of the city and the site where the Early Christian Saint Agnes was martyred in the ancient Stadium of Domitian.The rebuilding of the...
in Rome, the Bernini-inspired The Death of St. Agnes (1660-64) as well as the marble relief Stoning of St Emerenziana (1660). The latter has a restraint influenced by his mentor, Algardi, although the superior half was completed by one of his pupils, Leonardo Retti in 1689-1709. Under the leadership of Bernini, he sculpted the Angel with a Cross for the Ponte Sant'Angelo
Ponte Sant'Angelo
Ponte Sant'Angelo, once the Aelian Bridge or Pons Aelius, meaning the Bridge of Hadrian, is a Roman bridge in Rome, Italy, completed in 134 AD by Roman Emperor Hadrian, to span the Tiber, from the city center to his newly constructed mausoleum, now the towering Castel Sant'Angelo...
and reportedly completed the elephant statue holding the obelisk in front of Santa Maria sopra Minerva
Santa Maria sopra Minerva
The Basilica of Saint Mary Above Minerva is a titular minor basilica and one of the most important churches of the Roman Catholic Dominican order in Rome, Italy. The church, located in the Piazza della Minerva in the Campus Martius region, is considered the only Gothic church in Rome. It houses...
. Early in his career he worked with Cosimo Fanzago
Cosimo Fanzago
Cosimo Fanzago was an Italian architect and sculptor, generally considered the greatest such artist of the Baroque period in Naples, Italy.-Biography:...
and Giuliano Finelli
Giuliano Finelli
Giuliano Finelli was an Italian Baroque sculptor who emerged from the workshop of Bernini.He was born in Carrara to a family of marble masons in a town associated with mining of the stone, and he initially trained with Michelangelo Naccherino...
in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. He also made the statue of Saint Catherine of Siena http://worldart.sjsu.edu/VieO13176$3511*320997 for the Chigi Chapel in the Duomo di Siena
Duomo di Siena
The Cathedral of Siena , dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church and now to Santa Maria Assunta , is a medieval church in Siena, central Italy....
. With Francesco Aprile he sculpted Sant'Anastasia in Santa Anastasia
Santa Anastasia
Santa Anastasia is a basilica church in Rome, Italy.Santa Anastasia was built in the late 3rd century - early 4th century, possibly by a Roman woman named Anastasia. The church is listed under the titulus Anastasiae in the acts of the 499 synod...
in Rome, another statue resembling Bernini's famous dying Beata Ludovica Albertoni
Beata Ludovica Albertoni
The "Beata Ludovica Albertoni" is a funerary monument in the specially designed Altieri Chapel in the church of San Francesco a Ripa in Trastevere, Rome, Italy....
.
In 1673, when Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany established an informal academy in the Villa Madama
Villa Madama
Villa Madama is situated half way up the slope of Monte Mario Which faces directly north-east and because the hill is curved the part which looks towards Rome faces south and the opposite faces north-west...
in Rome, to give promising students an opportunity to study from antiquities, he placed it under the direction of Ercole Ferrata and the painter Ciro Ferri
Ciro Ferri
Ciro Ferri was an Italian Baroque sculptor and painter, the chief pupil and successor of Pietro da Cortona.He was born in Rome, where he began working under Cortona and with a team of artists in the extensive fresco decorations of the Quirinal Palace...
, who had been collaborating with Pietro da Cortona
Pietro da Cortona
Pietro da Cortona, by the name of Pietro Berrettini, born Pietro Berrettini da Cortona, was the leading Italian Baroque painter of his time and also one of the key architects in the emergence of Roman Baroque architecture. He was also an important decorator...
in frescoes for Palazzo Pitti
Palazzo Pitti
The Palazzo Pitti , in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast mainly Renaissance palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio...
. In 1677, when the Grand Duke arranged to get his antique sculptures released from Rome, Ercole Ferrata was recalled to Florence to unpack and see to them. "A rather colourless, plodding sculptor whose gifts were best displayed in executing or imitating the conceptions of more imaginative artists, Ferrata nonetheless enjoyed a deserved reputation as an authority on the antique".
When a headless torso had been discovered a few years previously, during the opening of a new road to the Santa Maria in Vallicella
Santa Maria in Vallicella
Santa Maria in Vallicella, also called Chiesa Nuova, is a church in Rome, Italy, which today faces onto the main thoroughfare of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele...
, the order of the Oratorians who owned the torso sent it to be "restored" by Ercole Ferrata, who essentially created the Faun Carrying a Kid, which after purchase by Queen Christina
Christina of Sweden
Christina , later adopted the name Christina Alexandra, was Queen regnant of Swedes, Goths and Vandals, Grand Princess of Finland, and Duchess of Ingria, Estonia, Livonia and Karelia, from 1633 to 1654. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King Gustav II Adolph and his wife Maria Eleonora...
, was sold in 1724 to Philip V of Spain
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
. Ferrata is less known for the documented fact that he provided the elegant arms for the Venus de' Medici
Venus de' Medici
The Venus de' Medici or Medici Venus is a lifesize Hellenistic marble sculpture depicting the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite. It is a 1st century BC marble copy, perhaps made in Athens, of a bronze original Greek sculpture, following the type of the Aphrodite of Cnidos, which would have been made...
. "He showed remarkable flair in making just the kind of attractive additions to a mutilated statue which most appealed to connoisseurs", according to Francis Haskell and Nicholas Penny.
He worked along with Bernini creating a much admired fountain for the gardens palace of the Count of Ericeira in Lisbon - unfortunately lost along with the palace, great library and art collection due to the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755.
Of the generation after Bernini and Algardi, which included Domenico Guidi
Domenico Guidi
Domenico Guidi was a prominent Italian Baroque sculptor.Born in Carrara, Guidi followed his uncle, the prominent sculptor, Giuliano Finelli to Naples. As the nephew of a sculptor noted for his feud with Bernini, it is not surprising that Guidi was never employed by the eminent master...
and Antonio Raggi
Antonio Raggi
Antonio Raggi , also called Antonio Lombardo, was a sculptor of the Roman Baroque, originating from Ticino.-Biography:He was born in Vico Morcote on the Lake Lugano. His mentor in Rome for nearly three decades was Gianlorenzo Bernini...
, Ferrata led the most successful studio for training sculptors. Ferrata's pupils included the Florentine Foggini
Giovanni Battista Foggini
thumb|Tomb of [[Galileo Galilei]] in [[Santa Croce, Florence]].Giovanni Battista Foggini was an Italian sculptor active in Florence, renowned mainly for small bronze statuary.-Biography:...
as well as Caffà
Melchiorre Caffà
Melchiorre Cafà was a sculptor from Malta. Cafà began a promising career in Baroque Rome but this was cut short by his premature death following a work accident.- Biography :...
, who acted as Ercole's studio assistant. In addition he trained Leonardo Retti, Francesco Aprile, Michele Maglia, Filippo Carcani, Giuseppe Mazzuoli, Lorenzo Ottoni
Lorenzo Ottoni
Lorenzo Ottoni was an Italian sculptor who was commissioned by the papacy and various noble houses of renaissance Italy.-Life:Ottoni was born in Rome in 1658 and spent the majority of his life in the city....
, and Giuseppe Rusnati
Giuseppe Rusnati
Giuseppe Rusnati was a Lombard sculptor of the Rococo period. Known for having trained with Ercole Ferrata and subsequently from 1673 to c. 1686 training a young Camillo Rusconi, prior to the latter's relocation himself to Ferrata's studio in Rome. Born near Como; he died in 1713...
. Among his last pupils was Camillo Rusconi
Camillo Rusconi
Camillo Rusconi was an Italian sculptor of the late Baroque in Rome. His style displays both features of Baroque and Neoclassicism. He has been described as a Carlo Maratta in marble.-Biography:...
, who moved to Rome in 1686 to work briefly in Ferrata's studio.
Ercole Ferrata died at Rome in 1686.
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