Much effort was devoted in the early modern period to defining the profession of sculptor and achieving its social recognition, and that effort is reflected more clearly in the German terminology (Bildhauer, literally “carver of images”) than in other European languages. To begin with, however, a distinction must be drawn between Italy and the rest of Europe, for the profession emerged at a far earlier date in the south and developed all the more rapidly, making Italian sculpture a frequent model for similar efforts in Germany or France.

The starting point for the profession in E…