Few artists have been as reviled by their peers as Baccio Bandinelli. Megalomania, greed, social climbing—these were his most conspicuous characteristics. For Bandinelli, wealth, nobility, and literary prowess were ways of proving that artists were more than mere craftsmen. Unfortunately, rather than concentrating on creating his best art, the talented sculptor squandered his time and gifts scheming to receive every commission offered by the Medici, then often spent inadequate time executing them.

Study of Two Men

Bandinelli's father, a prominent Florentine goldsmith, was his most influential teacher, exposing him to Leonardo da Vinci's drawings and sculpture. Bandinelli studied ancient and contemporary sculpture, but most of all he studied Michelangelo, becoming first his imitator, then his rival.

Bandinelli's greatest talent was disegno, that combination of design and drawing underlying Italian Renaissance art. He was also a gifted teacher. He founded one of the earliest academies at the Vatican in 1531 and created another in Florence around 1550.

Hercules and Cacus

Hercules and Cacus: This 16th century sculpture of the legendary hero Hercules by Baccio Bandinelli was displayed in the town center of Florence, Piazza della Signoria, as one in a series of mythical scenes which celebrated the city's major historical events. His heroism was viewed as analogous to the dignity and pride of Florentines during their age of dominance in the Renaissance. I have affordable reproductions of this statue for sale.