Other names

Biography

Educated in Burgundy, he arrived in Burgos where he was commissioned to create the Camino del Calvario (Way of Calvary) to decorate the central mural of the cathedral's chancel (1498-99). Recognition of his work brought him further commissions from the cathedral chapter, leading him to settle in Burgos, where he became master sculptor and carver of the cathedral. He worked tirelessly in all genres of sculpture, in stone and wood, as a decorator and sculptor, achieving great prestige, reflected in the many works he initially produced in Burgos and also in Salamanca, Palencia, Haro, Granada and, among others, Toledo, where he produced notable works, some of them commissioned by Cardinal Cisneros.

His works combine Flemish and Burgundian features of the late Gothic period with influences from the Italian Renaissance. The influence of Michelangelo is reinforced by his collaboration with Alonso de Berruguete, although his style maintains a serene correctness in contrast to the agitation of the Mannerist taste that characterized Alonso de Berruguete.     

The influence of Felipe Bigarny on the Castilian school is notable in most of the altarpieces of the first half of the 16th century.

Bibliography

• I. del Río de la Hoz (2001): El Escultor Felipe Bigarny (h-1470-1542), Junta de Castilla y León. Conserjería de Educación y Cultura, Salamanca.