Vittoria, Alessandro

Vittoria, Alessandro (b Trento, ?1525; d Venice, 27 May 1608). Italian sculptor, active mainly in Venice, where he settled in 1543. He trained under Jacopo Sansovino and succeeded him as the leading sculptor in the city, dominating the art in a way somewhat comparable to his contemporary Giambologna in Florence. His output was large and varied, including tombs, altars, statues, portraits, and architectural ornament, notably the vault over the ceremonial entrance to the Doges' Palace, the Scala d'Oro (1557–9). This is in gilded stucco, and he also worked in bronze, marble, and terracotta. Temperamentally he was a modeller rather than a carver, and his marbles tend to be lacking in warmth compared with his work in other media. His formidably characterized portrait busts are now perhaps his most admired works; his sitters included some of the leading Venetian personalities of the time.