Leone Leoni and the Status of the Artist at the End of the Renaissance

Eight years after being released from imprisonment on the papal galleys, Leone Leoni (1509-90) became the chief sculptor to Emperor Charles V, was granted a noble title, and began the building and decoration of the most impressive house ever owned by an artist up to that time. Based on archival documents and other contemporary sources, Leoni's fascinating biography and his achievements in sculpture are examined in terms of the contexts in which he lived.