(b Coimbra, c. 1470; d Coimbra, after 1532). Portuguese sculptor. He was the son of Diego Pires the elder ( fl 1481–1515), a leading sculptor of Coimbra who worked for King Alfonso V; Pires the elder’s last work was the Crucifixion, dated 1515, in the chapel of the House of Cavalaria, parish church of Vouzela. The sculpture of Pires the younger is characteristic of the Manueline style and of the transitional phase between Late Gothic and the Renaissance. In 1491 he signed the memorial plaque made of Ançã limestone in the chapel commissioned by Dom Alvaro, the titular Bishop of Fez and auxiliary Bishop of Coimbra, in the Old Cathedral of Coimbra. His contact with Flemish artists in Coimbra, in particular Olivier of Ghent and Jean d’Ypres ( fl Coimbra, 1498–1500), led him to adapt Mannerist forms in his depiction of the human figure as well as to adopt more vigorous carving and to apply more pronounced rhythms to the forms of the garments. He also began to use the naturalistic and organic ornament favoured by these Flemish sculptors, as is most apparent in his large-scale schemes that involve a profusion of decorative woodwork. These tendencies are evident in his figures of angels, such as the angel holding the shield of the donor, João Coelho, on the signed octagonal baptismal font in the Church of Leça do Bailio (1514–15).

• Pires, Diogo, the younger (c. 1470-after 1532)
  • Chanterene, Nicolau, §3: Later work, from 1527
  • João de Ruão