Benvenuto Cellini

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Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571 CE) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, medallist, and goldsmith whose most famous works today include the bronze statue of Perseus holding the head of Medusa, which now stands in Florence, and a magnificent gold salt cellar made for Francis I of France (r. 1515-1547 CE), now in Vienna. Although the surviving body of Cellini's work is surprisingly small, he remains one of the best-known Renaissance artists thanks to his colourful autobiography, written around 1558 CE.

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