Berruguete, Alonso (älōn`sō bĕr–r

gā`tā), c.1480–1561, Spanish mannerist sculptor. Probably the first in Spain to break away from the High Renaissance balance of form, he is noted for the expressive torsion of his figures. He studied with his father, Pedro Berruguete, a painter at the Spanish court. In Italy (c.1504–c.1517) he was strongly influenced by Michelangelo. On Berruguete's return to Spain he was appointed (1518) court painter and sculptor to Charles V. The carved altar screens for San Benito el Real (1527–32; Valladolid Mus.) and the choir stalls of the cathedral at Toledo (1539–43) are among his masterpieces. Berruguete brought the influence of Michelangelo to Spain, but his work has retained its vigor and originality. His work is best seen in Valladolid.

Berruguete, Alonso

(born c. 1488, Paredes de Nava, Castile—died 1561, Toledo, Castile) Spanish sculptor and painter. His father, Pedro Berruguete, was a great Renaissance painter. Alonso worked in Florence and Rome c. 1508–16. In 1516 he returned to Spain, and in 1518 he became court painter to Charles V. He succeeded primarily as a sculptor, however, and became known for his intensely emotional Mannerist sculptures of figures portrayed in spiritual torment or in transports of religious ecstasy. His best-known work is a set of wooden reliefs with highly expressive figures for choir stalls in Toledo Cathedral (1539–43). Berruguete's use of a rather rich and extravagant but delicate ornamentation in his church decorations is typical of Spain's Plateresque style. He is considered the greatest Spanish sculptor of the 16th century.