TACCA, Pietro

Florentine sculptor in bronze, the chief pupil and follower of Giambologna. After the latter’s death Tacca completed a number of his works and succeeded him as sculptor to the Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany. It was his technical and stylistic acumen in bronze, however that gained him the patronage of the Medici Dukes. He was granted the use for his lifetime of Giambologna studio by Cosimo II in 1616 and later served Ferdinand II as court artist in Spain.

Tacca’s works for the Medici include his masterpieces, the four Slaves at the foot of Bandini’s statue of Ferdinand I de’ Medici at Livorno.