10 things about Artus Quellinus

Artus Quellinus was born in 1609 in Antwerp, the city where he would also die in 1668. He came from a prominent family of artists. His father, Erasmus the Elder, was a sculptor; his brothers Erasmus the Younger and Hubertus were a painter and an engraver, respectively. Artus had no children of his own but trained his nephew and namesake, Artus Quellinus the Younger, who would become his successful artistic heir.

Artus Quellinus was probably trained by his father, Erasmus, who counted the painter Peter Paul Rubens among his close friends. He was specialized in applied sculpture, such as the decoration of pulpits. His son soon surpassed him professionally. Around the age of 24, Artus created three large garden statues for none other than the Dutch stadtholder, Prince Frederik Hendrik of Orange.

In 1650, Quellinus received the prestigious commission to create the sculptural decorations for the new city hall of Amsterdam. He led a large workshop on the Keizersgracht for nearly fifteen years to complete this enormous project. Thanks in large part to Quellinus’ contribution, contemporaries referred to the new city hall as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World.’ It is considered one of the absolute highlights of Baroque sculpture in the Netherlands.

Rubens was a family friend of the Quellinus household and an enthusiastic promoter of talented sculptors. There is ample evidence that he personally mentored the young Artus. Quellinus' early work, in particular, owes much to Rubens' innovative Baroque style. Even the sculptures he later made for the Amsterdam City Hall reflect this influence.

Around 1635, Quellinus traveled to Rome for three to four years to study antiquity and contemporary sculpture, such as the work of Bernini. His compatriot, the successful Brussels sculptor François du Quesnoy, took the young artist under his wing. Du Quesnoy’s classicist Baroque style played a crucial role in shaping Quellinus’ artistic development.

In the Low Countries, Quellinus made a name for himself with small statues and reliefs of 'putti', charming or humorous babies or toddlers, crafted in ivory, clay, and marble. Putti appear frequently throughout his work, often as secondary figures. They became one of his signature elements. He inherited this specialty from Du Quesnoy, who had revived the classical motif in Rome.

Amsterdam’s mayors also sought Quellinus out for private commissions. One by one, they approached him for a costly marble portrait bust of themselves. A toga draped across their chest and shoulder gives them the appearance of Roman consuls. Grand Pensionary Johan de Witt followed their lead and posed for Quellinus in The Hague.

Dozens of surviving terracotta models offer insight into Quellinus' workshop practices. Small, quickly sculpted models allow us to peek over the sculptor’s shoulder. Through these, Quellinus developed his initial design ideas and explored the best composition. More detailed clay models were later transferred to the desired size and material using a scratched-in scale grid.

For the Amsterdam city palace, Quellinus designed the models for six monumental bronze statues placed on the roof. These represent classical virtues and mythological figures, such as Peace, Prudence, and Atlas holding the celestial globe. This prestigious and extremely costly project was a collaboration with bell founder François Hemony, Quellinus’ neighbor, who cast the statues in bronze.

In 1665, after completing his work on the Amsterdam city hall, Quellinus left the Dutch Republic. Back in Antwerp, he worked on various commissions, including large altars for the Abbey of St. Michael and the Church of St. Gummarus in Lier. After his wife’s death in February 1668, Quellinus passed away on 28 August of the same year. He was buried in Antwerp, where his contribution to the city hall was commemorated on his tombstone.