Antico, L' (c. 1460-1528)

Italian sculptor, bronze-founder, and medallist. His name (‘the Antique’) derives from his keen interest in antiquity. He was patronized by the Dukes of Mantua and Isabella d'Este, his success based on his ability to reproduce the style of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture, which had recently become fashionable. One of his best-known examples if his Apollo (1479-98, Ca d'Oro, Venice).

Born in Mantua he trained as a goldsmith and was using the name L'Antico by 1479, when he used it to sign two medals. He established his reputation by recreating in bronze statuettes some of the fragmentary masterpieces of ancient sculpture (many of which were now being unearthed) such as the Apollo Belvedere.

His style and his interest in the antique are a sculptural counterpart to the style of Mantegna in painting - L'Antico emphasizes the smooth, rounded forms of the human body and contrasts polished surfaces with intricately chiselled details in the hair, drapery, and accoutrements. Details of his sculptures are often gilded and the eyes are sometimes inlaid in silver.