See also: Duquesnoy

François Duquesnoy or Of Quesnoy , known under the name of Flemish François (Brussels, 1597 - Leghorn, 1643) is a sculptor of Brussels whose fame largely exceeded the borders of the Flanders. Its name is regularly quoted at the sides of those of the Bernin and Algarde.

Biography

Oldest son of the sculptor Jerome Duquesnoy Old the (author of the Manneken-pis), he was the pupil, and brother of the sculptor Jerome Duquesnoy the Young person. He is most eminent representing École of sculpture of Brussels illustrated by names like Pierre van Dievoet, Gabriel de Grupello, Jean van Delen, Jacques Bergé, or Laurent Delvaux.

He first of all pointed out himself by his ivory work.

He had for Master his own father, and a guard the archduke Albert of Austria, which granted a pension to him to go to improve in Italy. In 1618, it undertook the voyage in Italy and went to Rome to remain there almost until its death.

Hardly it had reaches the 25 years age, which it lost its benefactor, and saw itself obliged to work to live. It was fixed at Rome and bound to it with painter Nicolas Poussin, with whom it shared a housing, like him unhappy and like impassioned to him for arts.

Quickly, its name and its work were essential and it became one of the outstanding figures of the classicisant current of this beginning of 17th century. As of February 1625, Bernin employed it with the carved decoration of the Baldaquin of the Basilique Saint-Pierre. There between 1629 and 1633, it carved in the Carrara marble a statue of Sainte Suzanne , high 2 meters, intended for Our-Lady-with-Lorette in Rome, within the framework of a complete program of restoration ordered by the brotherhood of the Boulanger S. It makes a success of a true masterpiece, perfect synthesis between the ancient quotation and the observation of nature.

The other monumental work of François Duquesnoy is a statue of Saint Andre , gone back to 1633 - 1640. High, it 4.68 meters was intended for one of the four pillars of transept crossing of Saint-Pierre. It is made up of six blocks of marble learnedly overlapping. It caused sharp praises at once. It also carried out the cenotaph of Adrian Vryburch (1629) and that of Ferdinand Van den Eynden (between 1635 and 1640 - 1643) in Santa Maria LED' Animated in Rome.

But the reputation of François Duquesnoy primarily sat on its production of works moreover small size, reliefs and statuettes, out of bronze, ivory, wax or terra cotta which it carried out all along his life. Sought by the collectors, they have as subjects of the religious or mythological scenes where very often reign of the putti, mischievous children represented in their plays bucolic, with a delicious childish grace where one often saw an influence of the Titien.

Duquesnoy had made a particular study of the Titien and Albane: also excelled he representing the children; one looks like his masterpieces:

• the Groups of children who accompany the columns by the Master furnace bridge of Rome
• the Sainte Susanne of Lorette
• the Saint Andre of St-Pierre.

Called in France by Louis XIII, he died in way, with Leghorn in doubtful circumstances. So that one often showed his Jerome brother, jealous of his talent, to have poisoned it whereas nothing comes to support this assumption.