Nicola Pisano (also called Niccolò Pisano and Nicola de Apulia) (c. 1220/1225 – c. 1284) was an Italian sculptor who is best known for the works that he made for Pisa Cathedral. At a time when most artists worked in the Gothic style, Nicola was influenced by the Ancient Roman sculpture that he saw at Pisa, and copied the style into his own work. For this reason Nicola Pisano is sometimes said to be to be the founder of modern sculpture.