Alexander van Papenhoven (
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, , 14 July 1669 – Antwerp, 15 February 1759) was a Flemish sculptor, architect and art educator, who is best known for the church furniture which he made for the principal churches in Flanders.
[Alexander van Papenhoven]
at the Netherlands Institute for Art History
The Netherlands Institute for Art History or RKD (Dutch: RKD-Nederlands Instituut voor Kunstgeschiedenis), previously Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), is located in The Hague and is home to the largest art history center i ...
He worked mainly in Antwerp, but early in his career he was also active for some years in Denmark.
[Cynthia Lawrence, ''Papenhoven, Alexander van (b Antwerp, 1669; d Antwerp, 1759)'']
Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web.7 April 2021.
He played an active role in the administration of the Antwerp
Guild of Saint Luke
The Guild of Saint Luke was the most common name for a city guild for painters and other artists in early modern Europe, especially in the Low Countries. They were named in honor of the Evangelist Luke, the patron saint of artists, who was ide ...
and the
Academy of Antwerp, in an attempt to revive the arts in Antwerp.
[F.J. van den Branden, ''Geschiedenis der Academie van Antwerpen, bekroond in den prijskamp door de regeering der stad Antwerpen uitgeschreven, ter gelegenheid van het tweehonderdjarig bestaan der Academie van beeldende kunsten'']
De Vlaamsche School. Jaargang 11. J.-E. Buschmann, Antwerpen 1865 His oeuvre stands at the juncture in Flemish sculpture when the flamboyance of the High Baroque gave way to Classicism which emphasized the clarity of design.
[
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Life
Alexander van Papenhoven was born in Antwerp as the son of Cornelis and Maria Fasseur. He was baptized on 14 July 1669 in the Saint Andrew's Church of Antwerp. His father was a sculptor who specialized in puppet making. Alexander received his initial artistic training from his father. He then joined the workshop of Artus Quellinus the Younger
Artus Quellinus II or Artus Quellinus the Younger (alternative first name: Arnold; variation on family name: Quellijn, Quellyn, Quellien, Quellin, Quellinius) (between 10 and 20 November 1625, Sint-Truiden – 22 November 1700, Antwerp) was a ...
, at the time the most prominent Flemish sculptor.[Edward Van Even, ''La table de communion de l'église de Saint-Pierre a Louvain exécutée en 1707 par Alexandre Van Papenhoven d'Anvers'', Bulletin des commissions royales d'art et d'archéologie, Belgique. Ministère de l'intérieur et de l'instruction publique, Belgium. Commission royale des monuments et des sites, 1884, pp. 241-257 ] He probably collaborated with his master on the high altar of the St. Mary's Church in Lübeck
Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the stat ...
around 1697.[ In the guild year 1698-1699 he became a 'wijnmeester' ('wine master', a free master who was the son of an existing member) of the Antwerp ]Guild of Saint Luke
The Guild of Saint Luke was the most common name for a city guild for painters and other artists in early modern Europe, especially in the Low Countries. They were named in honor of the Evangelist Luke, the patron saint of artists, who was ide ...
.[Ph. Rombouts and Th. van Lerius, ''De Liggeren en andere Historische Archieven der Antwerpsche Sint Lucasgilde, onder Zinkspreuk: "Wy Jonsten Versaemt" afgeschreven en bemerkt door Ph. Rombouts en Th. Van Lerius, Advokaet, onder de bescherming van den raed van bestuer der koninklyke Akademie van beeldende Kunsten, van gezegde Stad'']
Volume 2, Antwerp, 1872, pp. 608, 613, 615, 658, 659, 669, 678, 696, 704, 710, 714, 720, 731, 748, 759
On 16 November 1698 he married Maria Bruynel or Bruyneel in the Saint Georges Church in Antwerp.[ From circa 1700 he started working in Copenhagen where his master operated a workshop which was headed up by his master's son Thomas Quellinus. He must still have travelled back to Antwerp regularly as he appears in notarised documents in Antwerp in the years 1700 to 1707.][Godelieve van Hemeldonck, ''Kunst en kunstenaars'', s.p.: s.n. (2007), type script kept in the Felixarchief in Antwerp, S-1187 ] His wife died in 1708 and was buried on 2 June 1708.[
]
He likely returned to Antwerp more permanently around 1707/8 as he took on pupils from the guild year 1707–08. He was in the Guild year 1715-16 dean of the Guild.[ In the 18th century Antwerp's standing as an artistic centre was in steep decline. The Guild experienced serious financial difficulties and the Antwerp Academy had to interrupt its art classes regularly due to lack of funds. On 2 March 1731 van Papenhoven lent 500 guilders to the Guild in Antwerp and signed a loan to the Guild on 29 July 1733.][ By 1640 the situation had significantly deteriorated. In order to save the Academy and art education in Antwerp Alexander van Papenhoven, ]Jan Pieter van Baurscheit the Younger
Jan Peter van Baurscheit the Elder (1669–1728) was a sculptor from the Southern Netherlands.
Elder was born in Wormersdorf as the son of the mayor there, and moved to Antwerp, where he first apprenticed to the nephew of Pieter Verbrugghen the E ...
, Pieter Balthazar Bouttats, Jacob Rottiers, Marten Jozef Geeraerts and Pieter Snyers
Pieter Snyers or Peter Snijers (first name also written as: 'Peeter' and nickname 'De Heilige' or 'The Holy One') (30 March 1681 – 4 May 1752) was a Flemish art collector, painter, draughtsman and engraver. He practised a wide variety of genre ...
signed on 17 August 1741 a deed, in which they undertook to administer and teach at the Academy free of charge. Van Papenhoven also became one of the directors of the Academy. The support of these artists permitted the Academy to raise funds from prominent personalities in the city which ensured its survival.[
In 1742 van Papenhoven was commissioned to make a new pulpit for the Cathedral of Antwerp, which he finished to universal acclaim.][ Around this time a conflict arose between the Academy and the Guild over the right to give drawing classes, which were at the time given by the Academy but were regarded by the Guild as a potential source of income for itself. The dispute was only settled in 1749 when the Guild renounced all its rights to control the Academy and to teach the drawing classes. Van Papenhoven and others were at the same time officially affirmed by the city administration as director-teachers of the Academy.][
Van Papenhoven trained many pupils, the best known of whom was Gaspar van der Hagen who had a successful career in London where he worked in the workshop of Flemish emigree sculptor ]John Michael Rysbrack
Johannes Michel or John Michael Rysbrack, original name Jan Michiel Rijsbrack, often referred to simply as Michael Rysbrack (24 June 1694 – 8 January 1770), was an 18th-century Flemish sculptor, who spent most of his career in England where h ...
. Another pupil of his who became a successful sculptor was Alexander Franciscus Schobbens, who was his godson. Other pupils include Peeter Overlaet, Augustinus op de Laye, Jacobus Brunel, Joannes-Franciscus Allefelt (Alevelt), Jan Baptist van den Her(d)t, Andreas Schuyf, Philippus Delvout, Ignatius Frans Verellen and Arnoldus-Johannes van den Bos.[
He died on 15 February 1759 in Antwerp.]
Works
Van Papenhoven was a versatile sculptor who worked in many materials including marble, wood and stucco. He created mainly church furniture, decorative architectural elements and statues. A number of his works were lost during the French occupation of the Austrian Netherlands following the French Revolution when many churches were forced to close by the occupiers and the church furniture was sold off. His work stands at the juncture in Flemish sculpture when the flamboyance of the High Baroque gave way to Classicism which was more concerned with clarity of design.[
Papenhoven completed many commissions in Antwerp including a wooden prie-dieu in Antwerp Cathedral and various statues of saints, biblical figures and angels in the outdoor Calvary at ]St. Paul's Church, Antwerp
, image = Sintpaulus groen.jpg
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, alt =
, caption = St. Paul's Church
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...
. A terracotta modello of one of these statutes is in the collection of Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (french: Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, nl, Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van België) are a group of art museums in Brussels, Belgium. They include six museums: the Oldmasters Muse ...
in Brussels. He also created marble communion benches for two churches in Leuven. In 1711 he executed the high altar in the Church of our Lady in Wuustwezel after a design by Pieter Scheemaeckers
Pieter Scheemaeckers, Pieter Scheemackers, Pieter Scheemaeckers I or Pieter Scheemaeckers the Elder (alternative spellings and form of first name: Peter, Peeter and Petrus) (1640, Antwerp – 1714, Antwerp) was a Flemish sculptor who playe ...
.[
It was believed in the past that van Papenhoven worked on the decoration of the Palace of ]Sanssouci
Sanssouci () is a historical building in Potsdam, near Berlin. Built by Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace, it is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and ...
built between 1745 and 1747 for Frederick the Great
Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...
in Potsdam.[ A white marble statue of ''Amor and Cupid'' signed by him was once in the garden of Sanssouci in Potsdam. It was originally commissioned by ]William III of England
William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, Zeeland, Lordship of Utrecht, Utrec ...
around 1700 and was therefore not linked to Sanssouci. Its role was initially to serve as a garden statue. It was much admired by his contemporaries. In his collection of poems entitled ''Der Frühling und andere Gedichte'' published in 1749 the German poet Ewald Christian von Kleist
Ewald Christian von Kleist (7 March 171524 August 1759) was a German poet and cavalry officer. His vast family was well-established in Farther Pomerania; 58 male members of his family fought in Frederick the Great's army of the Seven Years' War. ...
dedicated two poems to the work one of which is entitled ''Über die Statüe der Venus an die sich Amor schmiegt'' (About the statue of Venus up against whom Amor is nestled). The statue is now located at Oranienburg
Oranienburg () is a town in Brandenburg, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Oberhavel.
Geography
Oranienburg is a town located on the banks of the Havel river, 35 km north of the centre of Berlin.
Division of the town
Oranienburg ...
near Berlin.
Van Papenhoven also sculpted a number of statues of the Virgin that were attached to the facades of houses in Antwerp. An example is the ''Virgin with child'' now located at Markgravestraat 17 in Antwerp. It was originally located at the corner of Lombardenstraat and Lombardenvest in Antwerp. The statue shows a swaggeringly draped Virgin holding the child Jesus on her left arm. Both the Virgin and Child are crowned. The console is decorated with garlands and two winged angel heads. It was the work he made as the proof to be admitted as a master of the Guild of Saint Luke in 1698.Wim Strecker, ''Beelden bewaren, een nog steeds actuele problematiek (en detailnota.s)''
in: 1814-2014, verdwenen, verschenen. Wandelgids (nieuwsbrief Vrienden van de Antwerpse Madonna's, nr. 21 3de j. (2014), 1-2 p. 20
Notes
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Papenhoven, Alexander van
Flemish Baroque sculptors
Flemish architects
Flemish artists (before 1830)
Artists from Antwerp
Architects of the Austrian Netherlands
17th-century births
1687 births
1759 deaths
Painters from Antwerp