Pieter Huyssens (22 February 1577 – 6 June 1637) was a
Flemish
Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...
Jesuit brother and
Baroque architect.
Biography
Huyssens was born in
Bruges
Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the country by population.
The area of the whole city a ...
, the son of Jacob and Cathelijne Boudens.
[Pieter Huyssens]
in the RKD
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 ...
's database His father and grandfather were master masons, and Pieter was already a master mason when he entered the
Society of Jesus
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
in 1596 in
Tournai. His first architectural commission for the society was the construction of the college church of Maastricht in 1606 (today a theatre). Called to Antwerp in 1613, he drew the plans of the Church of St Ignatius (now called
Carolus Borromeuskerk) under the direction of
François d'Aguilon. After Aguilon's death in 1617, Huyssens became the contractor and collaborated with
Peter Paul Rubens
Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradi ...
decorating the church with paintings.
Drawing for the altar created by Huyssens and Rubens
that was executed by the sculptor Johannes van Mildert Together they made this church into a Baroque masterpiece. During this period Huyssens started other projects in Namur and Bruges for Jesuit churches.
He made a trip to Rome in 1626-1627 for the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia who wanted marble for her new palace chapel in Brussels. On his return to Belgium he built the Church of St Francis Xavier (now the St. Walburga Church) in Bruges. Construction was completed in 1641 after Huyssens' death. In 1628, he drew the plans for the church of the abbey of St Peter in Ghent.
Huyssens died in his native city of Bruges, after a long illness, aged 60.
Buildings
File:Maastricht - rijksmonument 506705 - Achter de Comedie 1 - Bonbonniere 20100524.jpg, Facade of the Jesuit church in Maastricht
File:0 Namur - Église Saint-Loup (1).jpg, The church of Saint Loup in Namur.
File:Brugge - Sint-Walburgakerk 1.jpg, St. Walburga Church, Bruges
File:Carolus borromeus interior.jpg, Interior of the Carolus Borromeuskerk, Antwerp
File:Koepelsintpieters 2-12-2008 15-40-52.JPG, St-Pietersabdijkerk, Ghent
References
*Plantenga, J. H., ''L’architecture religieuse du Brabant au XVIIe siècle'', The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1925.
*Thibaut de Maizières, M. ''L'architecture religieuse à l'époque de Rubens'', Bruxelles, 1943.
* (anonymous), ''Les Jésuites à Namur (1610-1773)'', Namur, 1991.
* Meulemeester, J. L., "Pieter Huyssens (1577-1637), een Brugse barokarchitect met faam." Article in: ''Vlaanderen'', Jrg. 51 (2002), vr. 1, pp. 23–25.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huyssens, Pieter
1577 births
1637 deaths
Flemish Baroque architects
Architects from Bruges
Jesuits of the Spanish Netherlands
Clergy from Bruges
Flemish Jesuits