Giambologna (1529-1608) was the foremost sculptor of the age of Mannerism, his work recognizable by means of his seductive and strongly distinctive style, who worked in the half-century following the death of Michelangelo in 1564. Charles Avery's major critical study covers the whole range of Giambologna's work in a fluent yet scholarly narrative and emphasizes his wide and long-lasting influence on the development of European sculpture.

A profound artist, as revealed by his combined energy and subtlety, Giambologna's work as a whole displays a fascinating evolution throughout his own career and, in turn, signifies a turning-point for sculpture across Europe in the following centuries. The eloquent, extensive and erudite text is supported by outstanding photographic images of the sculptor's work captured by David Finn, whose own sense of aesthetic harmony and rhythm show the sculptures in their most revealing light. Setting out an exhaustive scope, the volume concludes with an invaluable checklist of all Giambologna's known works.