Flemish-Italian sculptor, one of the most influential artists of late 16th-century Mannerism. Originally named Jean Bologne, he was born in Douai, Flanders. He spent two years in Rome (circa 1554-55), where he was strongly influenced by Michelangelo's sculpture. Also called Giovanni da Bologna, Giambologna remained in Italy for the rest of his life, principally in Florence.
Pope Pius IV gave Giambologna his first major commission, for a colossal bronze Fountain of Neptune (1566) in Bologna. In his later work, he strove for a strong sense of movement, often based on spirals or twisting lines. A series of bronze statues of Mercury culminated in the renowned “flying” Mercury (1580, Bargello, Florence), outstanding for the airy elegance of its pose: the nude figure stands poised on the toes of the left foot, with the right arm raised high in a pointing gesture. Rape of the Sabine Woman (1583, Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence), considered his masterpiece, is a complex three-figure work in marble, a compact yet light group spiraling upward from a crouching to a standing to an airborne figure.
Giambologna was the most successful sculptor of his age, creating an international Mannerist style that directly influenced succeeding baroque sculpture, particularly the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

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