Antonio Begarelli

Who is Antonio Begarelli?

Antonio Begarelli, also known as Begarino was an Italian sculptor.

He was born at Modena, and is said to have been instructed by Giovanni dell'Abbate, the father of the painter Niccolò. Begarelli worked chiefly at Modena, where many churches are decorated with his plastic compositions in terra-cotta; and in his later years also at Parma. These are free standing figures, nearly life-size, grouped together above altars in the chapels, and apparently intended to replace pictures. This peculiar adaptation of plastic works was first used at Modena by Guido Mazzoni, called II Modanino, a highly gifted artist of realistic tendencies.

The assertion that Begarelli was associated with Correggio seems to be incorrect. It has been supposed, that Begarelli made the models from which Correggio painted many of his floating figures, and even instructed his friend in the art of modelling. Begarelli's figures have a far closer resemblance to those of the Ferrarese painter Benvenuto Tisi than to those of Correggio. They have the same types as the former used, and his draperies are similarly arranged.