Career
Lelli was a pupil of the painter Giovanni Pietro Zanotti, but he also gravitated towards sculptural work. He excelled in the study of the anatomy of the human body as well as painting. Starting in 1742 he helped prepare artistic anatomical wax displays at the University of Bologna.
The wax modeler and anatomist Giovanni Manzolini worked as his assistant from 1743.
Manzolini resigned in late 1746 after three years. He felt bitterly that Lelli had deprived him of recognition for his greater knowledge of anatomy and anatomical sculpture.
He had completed many medals for the local Mint. He was an eminent teacher of design, and in 1759 became director of the Academy at Bologna, the city where he died.
He has also left some engravings, such as Hagar and Ishmael.
A posthumous book with a few engravings, titled Anatomia esterna del corpo umano (External Anatomy of the Human Body) was published in Bologna. Giles Hussey.