The Workshop of Ercole Ferrata: Structure, Practices, and Legacy by Davide Lipari

The presentation explores the structure and organization of the workshop of Ercole Ferrata (1610–1686), a sculptor from Como who was active in Rome from 1647, where he became a trusted collaborator of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Alessandro Algardi. Drawing on historical sources and archival documents, I aim to pinpoint the location of Ferrata’s studio, which it is likely resembled an academy, and step inside its walls to uncover who worked and trained there. I will also examine Ferrata’s artistic and professional priorities, as well as the teaching methods he employed to instruct his pupils.

Through selected case studies, I will analyze how artworks were conceived and produced within Ferrata’s workshop and evaluate their influence on successive generations of apprentice sculptors. Finally, I will consider a few key questions: Did Ferrata’s artworks influence those of his students? Can we trace a lasting artistic legacy to Ferrata and his school?

Davide Lipari is a PhD candidate at the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’, where he is working on a dissertation about Ercole Ferrata. His research specializes in Baroque sculpture, with a particular focus on works from Rome and Emilia, and he has published various contributions on the subject. He is also a curator, together with Andrea Bacchi and Federico Fischetti, of the exhibition ‘Barocco da collezione: le terrecotte della donazione Guandalini Kabaivaska’, currently on display at the Galleria Estense in Modena until May 4, 2025.