Jan van Lokeren (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

1375 – 1381) was a Flemish sculptor and woodcarver mostly active in

Mechelen Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...

Biography

Jan van Lokeren was a sculptor, chiefly active in Mechelen, who specialized in woodcarvings. He probably lived in Mechelen since as early as 1359. In 1375–1378, he and Herman van Blankene made part of the sculptures of the Mechelen '' Schepenhuis'', the oldest aldermen's house. The work carried out by Van Lokeren and Van Blankene included twelve wooden ''balkzolen'' sculpted with secular and biblical scenes, including the legend of

Saint Christopher Saint Christopher ( el, Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος, ''Ágios Christóphoros'') is veneration, venerated by several Christianity, Christian denominations as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman Empire, Roman emperor Deciu ...

, Daniel in the lions' den, and the Sacrifice of Abraham. One of the ''balkzolen'' also depicts a scene from the legend of Sint-Niklaas. This work is characterized by the traditional and "architecture-bound" 14th-century style. In October 1389, the jacquemart for St. Rumbold's Cathedral in Mechelen was commissioned from Van Lokeren. This sculpture was painted and gilded. Van Lokeren was an esteemed engineer and was renowned for this kind of works. Already in 1381 the city of

Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...

had commissioned him a wooden mannequin with the same purpose. The Leuven jacquemart, made of hazel wood, was nicknamed ''Maître Jean'', or ''Meester Jan''.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:van Lokeren, Jan 14th-century births Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown Early Netherlandish sculptors Woodcarvers Flemish artists Place of birth unknown People from Lokeren People from Mechelen