Andrea del Verrocchio (c. 1435–1488) gained fame as a sculptor whose masterpieces in bronze rival ancient sculpture in their naturalism and expressiveness. A favorite of the Medici, the de facto rulers of Florence, Verrocchio was also a celebrated painter and draftsman whose workshop became a training ground for the preeminent painters of the High Renaissance, including his apprentice and pupil, Leonardo da Vinci.
Source: The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.