Forment, Damián

Damián Forment, (born c. 1480, Valencia, kingdom of Aragon [Spain]—died c. 1541, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Castile), sculptor, recognized as perhaps the most important sculptor in 16th-century Spain. His early work demonstrated a mastery of Renaissance principles, and one of his last pieces is one of the earliest Mannerist works in Spain.

Forment, Damián: Santa Ana, the Virgin and Child

Forment might have been trained in Florence or have come into contact with Florentine artists who influenced his work. In any case, he started his career in his native Valencia, living there until 1509, when he moved to Saragossa. He maintained a studio in Saragossa until his death, executing over the years many large altars, often in alabaster.

One of his earliest pieces (1509–12) is the altar in the church of El Pilar, in Saragossa. It is of mixed style, combining Gothic ornament with Renaissance figures. He retained the Gothic frame in his sculpture until about 1520, using it in the Mannerist altarpiece for Huesca cathedral (1520–34). The figures in his early altars are much indebted to Donatello and are usually organized with careful attention to balance and symmetry. In the altar at Huesca, the figures have become elongated, and there is more movement in and out of the relief plane. His last work, the altar at Santo Domingo de la Calzada (1537–40), has a Renaissance frame, but the figures have become even more twisted and elongated. His work was an important influence on later Spanish sculptors and shows very clearly the transition from the Gothic to the Mannerist style.