Natale Babanini (Lendinara, 1855 – Bologna, 1924) was an Italian sculptor. Trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence under the guidance of Augusto Rivalta, his career took off in 1883 with the plaster sculpture *Il lottatore*. The work was awarded a prize at the Rome Exhibition and is considered a masterpiece of Verismo for its anatomical realism and the rendering of muscle tension. His artistic production, while starting from a solid Verist foundation, over time assimilated Symbolist and Art Nouveau influences. His most significant works include the monument to Ugo Bassi in Cento, the bust of Giosuè Carducci, and the war memorial in his hometown. Active mainly in Florence and Rome, he participated in numerous national exhibitions, receiving important public and private commissions. For his artistic merits, he was appointed Honorary Academician of the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, consolidating his reputation as one of the leading Italian sculptors at the turn of the 20th century.