Andrea Fantoni Biography
Andrea Fantoni, eldest son of the sculptor and carver Grazioso the Elder, was born in Bergamo in 1659 and continued the centuries-old family business, known as the "Fantoni workshop", who were in fact sculptors, carvers and architects. Andrea Fantoni was undoubtedly the greatest representative of this long family tradition.
He trained with his family of artisans and in the workshop of the famous wood carver Pietro Ramus (1639-1682), and then moved to Parma and worked for the Palazzo Ducale. Returning to Rovetta in 1679, his studio produced a variety of works, including statues, reliefs and wood carvings. He is best known for the wooden confessional of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo, of the church of the Cathedral of Sant'Alessandro in Brescia and for the pulpit of the Basilica of San Martino in Alzano Lombardo. Furthermore, he created some altars in some parish churches in the Camonica valley near Cerveno and Angolo Terme. In Clusone, in the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, you can admire some of his sculptures. He also created some works in the Ognissanti church in Rovetta.
He often used projects and drawings by other artists, in particular his friend the architect Giovanni Battista Caniana, from whom he purchased numerous drawings. Among the architectural projects, we include the plans of important Roman churches, such as those of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, del Gesù, Sant'Andrea al Quirinale and San Carlo alle quattro Fontane, as well as the plan of the Tempio del Redentore in Venice. There are also some architectural drawings by the artist himself, which follow the Roman and Venetian prototypes with some variations.
