Antonio Begarelli: The Sculptor Who Replaced Paint Antonio Begarelli (c. 1499 – 1565) stands as a singular figure in the artistic landscape of Renaissance Italy, particularly renowned for his pioneering approach to sculptural decoration—a deliberate substitution of painted panels with terracotta reliefs that fundamentally altered the aesthetic sensibilities of his time. Born in Modena, he emerged from the workshop of Giovanni dell’Abbate, Niccolò’s father, absorbing influences from the burgeoning realism championed by artists like Guido Mazzoni II Modanino. This stylistic shift marked a deci…