Biography

Italian architect and sculptor (also Agnolo da Siena). He is first mentioned in 1311 amongst the taxpayers of the district of San Quirico in Siena. The surviving documents testify to his activity as civic and military architect for the Comune di Siena: in 1319 he was paid for a number of works at Porta Salaria, in 1333 he was consulted on the extension of the Duomo, and in 1334-35 he was in charge of the fortifications of Grosseto and Massa Marittima. He may have also executed the projects for Porta Sant'Agata and Porta Romana in Siena. There are no surviving documents referring to his life and work after 1349.

Agnolo is believed to be the sculptor 'Angelus de Senis' (Agnolo da Siena), who in 1327-30 executed the canopy tomb for Bishop Guido Tarlati in Arezzo Cathedral in collaboration with Agostino di Giovanni. In spite of the tomb's homogeneity of style, Agnolo's intervention may be identified in a number of sculpted reliefs depicting war scenes, as well as the two clergymen on the left of the Funeral Ceremony on the sarcophagus.

Also attributed to Agnolo are the Petroni Portal in the cloister of San Francesco, Siena, and the tomb of Cardinal Matteo Orsini in Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. These works are sculpted with a sharp and hard cut, and while the figures' poses are somewhat stiff and their ample drapery is lacking in volume, their faces are expressive.

Like Agostino di Giovanni, Agnolo was inspired by the works of Tino di Camaino, and departed from the French-influenced style of his contemporary Goro di Gregorio.