Giovanni Pisano

Giovanni Pisano (c. 1250 – c. 1315) was an Italian sculptor active in Pisa, Siena, and Pistoia. His work is noted for blending French Gothic elements with the traditions of Ancient Roman sculpture. The modernist sculptor Henry Moore, speaking of Pisano's figures on the facade of Siena Cathedral, described him as "the first modern sculptor."

Pisano was born in Pisa, the son of the renowned sculptor Nicola Pisano. He learned his craft in his father's workshop and collaborated with him on the pulpit for Siena Cathedral between 1265 and 1268. The pair next completed the Fontana Maggiore in Perugia in 1278.

Nicola Pisano likely died around 1278 or in 1284, when Giovanni took up residence in Siena. Because these early pieces closely follow Nicola's style, telling their individual contributions apart is often tricky. A clear exception is a Madonna and Child that can be firmly credited to Giovanni, as it introduces a fresh sense of closeness between mother and child.

Giovanni's next major project was at the Baptistry, where from 1277 to 1284 he carved the statues set into two rows of traceried gables on the exterior. The lively energy of these figures confirms he had moved beyond his father's calm, serene approach.

From 1287 to 1296, he served as chief architect (capomaestro) of Siena Cathedral. The facade's architectural design and its elegant sculptures reveal his habit of merging Gothic forms with echoes of Roman art. After his death, Memmo di Filippuccio continued the work, adding even more Gothic ornamentation.

In 1296, Giovanni returned to Pisa to become capomaestro of its cathedral. He finished the Pulpit of Sant' Andrea in Pistoia in 1301, having begun it in 1297. This pulpit features five relief panels: the Annunciation and Nativity; the Adoration, the Dream of the Magi, and the Angel Warning Joseph; the Massacre of the Innocents; the Crucifixion; and the Last Judgement.

Between 1302 and 1310, Giovanni worked on a new pulpit for Pisa Cathedral, which shows a clear preference for animated, dramatic figures and pushes his father's style even further away. This pulpit, with its intense scenes, is considered his masterpiece. Carved from white marble, it presents nine New Testament scenes with a strong chiaroscuro effect and includes a bold, naturalistic depiction of a naked Hercules.