Taddeo Landini (c. 1561 – March 13, 1596) was an Italian sculptor and architect of the

Mannerist Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Ita ...

period, active mainly in his native

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

and after 1580, in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

Biography

His initial training was in Tuscany, and to Rome, he brought the decorative style of Florentine fountains. In Florence, in the early 1580s, he sculpted a copy of Michelangelo's ''Risen Christ'' for the church of Santo Spirito. He was also called to sculpt the statue of ''Winter'', a man shivering, on the Ponte Santa Trinita over the river Arno. The bridge was designed by Ammanati. The other three seasons were completed by either Caccini and Francavilla. Moving to Rome, he completed the relief of ''Christ washing the Feet of the Disciples'' and a triton for the fountains in

Piazza Navona Piazza Navona () is a public open space in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in the 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans went there to watch the '' agones' ...

. He also completed a large, no longer extant, gilt-bronze seated statue of Pope

Sixtus V Pope Sixtus V ( it, Sisto V; 13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), born Felice Piergentile, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 1585 to his death in August 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order ...

in the

Campidoglio The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill ( ; it, Campidoglio ; la, Mons Capitolinus ), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. The hill was earlier known as ''Mons Saturnius'', dedicated to the god Saturn. ...

. A smaller bust still remains. His most famous work is that the four bronze mannered adolescents were cast in bronze for a fountain,

Fontana delle Tartarughe Fontana may refer to: Places Italy *Fontana Liri, comune in the Province of Frosinone *Fontanafredda, comune in the Province of Pordenone * Fontanarosa, comune in the Province of Avellino *Francavilla Fontana, comune in the Province of Brindisi ...

, in the Piazza Mattei, not far from the church of Santa Caterina dei Funari. This project was likely influenced by figures in Ammanati's Fountain of Neptune in Florence. The design of the water spouts was altered decades later to turtles by Bernini. Landini was appointed architect for Pope

Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII ( la, Clemens VIII; it, Clemente VIII; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born ...

. However, on visiting Florence, he was afflicted by syphilis and from thereon did not dare appear before the pontiff.

Sources

Grove encyclopedia of Art entry
1560s births 1596 deaths Sculptors from Florence 16th-century Italian sculptors Italian male sculptors Renaissance sculptors {{Italy-sculptor-stub