Bernardino Ludovisi

He is an example of a working sculptor of his time, proficient in his craft but largely forgotten today.

He was one of six Italian sculptors allotted subsidiary tasks to the French masters Pierre Le Gros and Jean-Baptiste Théodon working on the Chapel of St Ignatius in Il Gesù.

[1] He was also one of the sculptors commissioned by King João V of Portugal to supply sculpture to his palatial complex at Mafra.

Ludovisi began in the vein of Baroque classicism, but as he matured he began to lean toward the French style of Le Gros and the Rococo, exemplifying a later, gentler variation of Italian Baroque which Enggass named barocchetto.

His work is characterised by an attention to detail, an effective use of colour, and a painterly manner in his reliefs.