Benedetto Antelami

Benedetto Antelami , c.1150-c.1225, Italian sculptor. Considered the most important sculptor of the late Romanesque period in N Italy, Antelami was an aesthetic forebear of Nicola and Giovanni Pisano . His relief carvings emphasize rhythmic design by means of drapery details on elongate figures and tight compositions. The faces of his figures are profoundly expressive. Antelami's style, as in his doors for the baptistery at Parma (begun 1196), suggests that he was trained in S France. It is clear that his late work was influenced by French Gothic style.

Antelami, Benedetto (active late 12th century). Italian Romanesque sculptor, the most notable figure in the history of Italian sculpture before Nicola Pisano. His name first appears on a relief of the Descent from the Cross (1178) in Parma Cathedral. The major works associated with him are the three carved portals of the adjacent Baptistery, one of which is signed and dated 1196; it has been suggested that he may have overseen the whole structure as architect as well as sculptor. On stylistic grounds he or his workshop have been credited with other work in north Italy. His sculptures have a gravity and dramatic expressiveness hitherto unknown in the region.