Portrait of a Venetian patrician at The Louvre, Paris

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Alessandro Vittoria (1525–1608) was a renowned Italian Mannerist sculptor from the Venetian school, widely regarded as one of the leading exponents of the Venetian classical style and rivaling Giambologna for supremacy among Italy's top sculptors during the late 16th century. Born in Trent, Italy, to a tailor father, Vittoria was trained in the atelier of architect-sculptor Jacopo Sansovino; his artistic compositions reveal a significant influence from Titian. A virtuoso in terracotta, often adorned with gilded surfaces, marble, and bronze, Vittoria's skillset rivaled that of Michelangelo and Bartolomeo Ammanati, the Florentine Mannerist. As an integral part of the Cinquecento art world in late 16th-century Venice, his collaborations with architects Sansovino, Sanmicheli, and Palladio, alongside painters Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese, solidified his position as a leading figure in Venetian art. After a tumultuous relationship with Sansovino, Vittoria moved to Vicenza, where he worked on the Villa Barbaro at Maser (1560–62) alongside Veronese before returning to Venice. The two masters continued their collaborative work on major sculptural commissions until Sansovino's passing. Upon Sansovino's death, Vittoria took over his studio and completed several of his unfinished commissions. His notable pupils included Camillo Mariani and Andrea di Alessandro. Vittoria passed away in 1608, leaving behind a legacy that includes his iconic classicising portrait busts, which were virtually unknown in Venice before him, as well as his highly regarded medals and full-length figures, some of which adorn Sansovino's Biblioteca Marciana.