Nicolau Chanterene

Nicolau Chanterene (also called Nicolas Chanterenne or Nicolas de Chanterenne) (France, c.1485 – Évora, c.1555) was a French sculptor and architect who worked mainly in Portugal and Spain. It is assumed that he was born in Normandy, France. It is not clear whether he got his training in France or Italy. However his style is essentially French, notwithstanding his use of Lombard ornaments. Chanterene is first mentioned in a document in Santiago de Compostela that states that a payment was made to him for carving 15 of the 16 life-size statues between 13 August 1511 and 1513 in the columns of the transept of the Hospital Real (Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos founded in 1492). These statues introduce influences from the Italian Renaissance...