Artus Quellinus the Elder

Artus Quellinus the Elder, Artus Quellinus I or Artus (Arnoldus) Quellijn was a Flemish sculptor. He is regarded as the most important representative of the Baroque in sculpture in the Southern Netherlands. He worked for a long period in the Dutch Republic and operated large workshops both in Antwerp and Amsterdam. His work had a major influence on the development of sculpture in Northern Europe.

Artus Quellinus the Elder was born into an artistic family. He was the son of the respected Antwerp sculptor Erasmus Quellinus I and Elisabeth van Uden. His brothers became prominent artists: Erasmus was a painter and Hubertus was an engraver and painter. His sister Cornelia married his father's pupil, the sculptor Pieter Verbrugghen the Elder.

Artus Quellinus received his first training from his father. In the period from 1635 to 1639 he trained in Rome in the studio of his compatriot François Duquesnoy.

He spent time in Lyon together with the Flemish painter Laureys Franck and was in contact there with the Dutch engraver Nicolaas van Helt Stockade and the Dutch painter Jan Asselijn.

He returned to Antwerp in 1639 and became member of the local Guild of Saint Luke in 1640-41. In 1640 he took over the workshop of his father and married Marguerite Verdussen (she died on 12 February 1668). He worked in Amsterdam in the years 1646 and 1647 and also spent time in Sweden.

He won commissions in Amsterdam and, from 1650 onwards, worked for fifteen years on the new city hall together with the lead architect Jacob van Campen. Now called the Royal Palace on the Dam, this construction project, and in particular the marble decorations he and his workshop produced, became an example for other buildings in Amsterdam. One of his great patrons was Amsterdam burgomaster and statesman Andries de Graeff. The team of sculptors that Artus supervised during his work on the Amsterdam city hall included many sculptors who would become leading sculptors in their own right such as his cousin Artus Quellinus II, Rombout Verhulst, Bartholomeus Eggers and Gabriël Grupello and probably also Grinling Gibbons.

He returned to work in Antwerp in 1658 and remained active mainly in this city until his death.

His many pupils included his cousin Artus Quellinus II, Martin Deurweerders, Grinling Gibbons, Gabriël Grupello, Pieter Verbrugghen I, Lodewijk Willemsens, Jackes Janssen (1641-42); Hendricus Quellinus (1643-44); Hubertus Daep (1651-52); Aurelius Gompaert (1651-52); Gabriël Grupello (1658-69); Jan Bouttil (1660-61); Lodewyk Willemsen (1661-62); Jasper van Steen (1664-65); Lambertus Lowies (1666-67) and Dirick Willekens van Werelt (1667-68). Many of these students would become leading sculptors in their own right who would help spread the late Baroque style across Europe.

Text courtesy of Wikipedia, 2023