Matthias Kessels
Encyclopedia
Matthias Kessels was a Dutch sculptor who mainly worked in Brussels and Rome.
. He was first apprenticed to a goldsmith at Venlo
but soon gave up his apprenticeship to attend the École des Beaux-Arts
in Paris. In 1806 he made his way to Saint Petersburg
where he abode eight years, making silver and wax models and sculptures of various kinds. In 1815 he returned briefly to Maastricht and then spent several months at Anne-Louis Girodet's studio in Paris, where he exhibited at the Salon of 1819.
Finally, having decided to go to Rome, he was accepted as an apprentice of the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen
. In a competition for young artists, organized by Venetian sculptor Antonio Canova
, Kessels won the highest award with his terracotta Saint Sebastian pierced by arrows, a piece of frank and beautiful workmanship. In Rome he was a member of the Academy of St. Luke and of the Institute of the Netherlands, in Antwerp and Amsterdam
(1824) he was a member of the academies.
Among his numerous classically minded patrons was William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire
, who commissioned two marble bas-reliefs, Day and Night (1819), and Diskobolos Preparing to Throw (1828; all Chatsworth House
). Other patrons included the Duke of Alba (Reclining disk thrower, now in the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca in Rome, and Cupid
whetting his darts) and the Prince of Orange
(Paris
resting, a colossal marble for which Kessels received the Order of Leopold, now at the palace of Laeken). In the late 1820s Kessels renounced the pure classicism of Thorvaldsen in favour of the more seductive style of Canova and the pathos of the Italian Baroque, as in his Monument to the Comtesse de Celles (marble, 1828; Rome, Chiesa di San Giuliano dei Fiamminghi
). The romantic emphasis of his Flood Scene (plaster, c. 1833) differentiates it from the works of his last period, which are imbued with religious sentimentality (Christ at the column, The four Evangelists, a bas relief of the head of Christ the Saviour, busts of Christ and the Virgin Mary and a Pietà
). Some of his other lesser works include Woman weeping over an urn, The genius of Art and a bust of Admiral Tromp. In Rome Kessels taught the Liege sculptors Louis Jehotte
(c. 1803-84) and Eugene Simonis
, who exerted an influence through their teaching at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
in Brussels. A bronze copy of his Disk thrower is in the gardens of the Palais des Académies in Brussels.
Matthias Kessels died in Rome while he was working on Saint Michael overcoming the Hydra of Anarchy for the church of Saint Gudula, now Brussels cathedral. On Kessels's death his studio, having been inventoried by Thorvaldsen, was acquired by the Belgian government and transferred to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
, Brussels. The museum owns several plaster sculptures by Kessels: Discobole lançant le disque, Génie funèbre éteignant un flambeau, Monument funeraire de la comtesse (1832) and Scène du déluge (±1832-1835).
In our days, Kessels is no longer regarded as a major artist but he was famous in his time. As he belonged to the Roman school of neoclassical sculpture, founded by Canova and Thorvaldsen, along with Johann Gottfried Schadow
, Albert Wolff
and others, he strictly adhered to idealist aesthetics and to the laws prescribed by classical art.
Biography
Matthias (also Matthieu or Matthijs) was born in MaastrichtMaastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
. He was first apprenticed to a goldsmith at Venlo
Venlo
Venlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands, next to the German border. It is situated in the province of Limburg.In 2001, the municipalities of Belfeld and Tegelen were merged into the municipality of Venlo. Tegelen was originally part of the Duchy of Jülich centuries ago,...
but soon gave up his apprenticeship to attend the École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
in Paris. In 1806 he made his way to Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
where he abode eight years, making silver and wax models and sculptures of various kinds. In 1815 he returned briefly to Maastricht and then spent several months at Anne-Louis Girodet's studio in Paris, where he exhibited at the Salon of 1819.
Finally, having decided to go to Rome, he was accepted as an apprentice of the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen was a Danish-Icelandic sculptor of international fame, who spent most of his life in Italy . Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen into a Danish/Icelandic family of humble means, and was accepted to the Royal Academy of Arts when he was eleven years old...
. In a competition for young artists, organized by Venetian sculptor Antonio Canova
Antonio Canova
Antonio Canova was an Italian sculptor from the Republic of Venice who became famous for his marble sculptures that delicately rendered nude flesh...
, Kessels won the highest award with his terracotta Saint Sebastian pierced by arrows, a piece of frank and beautiful workmanship. In Rome he was a member of the Academy of St. Luke and of the Institute of the Netherlands, in Antwerp and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
(1824) he was a member of the academies.
Among his numerous classically minded patrons was William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire
William George Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire KG, PC , styled Marquess of Hartington until 1811, was a British peer, courtier and Whig politician...
, who commissioned two marble bas-reliefs, Day and Night (1819), and Diskobolos Preparing to Throw (1828; all Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House is a stately home in North Derbyshire, England, northeast of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield . It is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, and has been home to his family, the Cavendish family, since Bess of Hardwick settled at Chatsworth in 1549.Standing on the east bank of the...
). Other patrons included the Duke of Alba (Reclining disk thrower, now in the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca in Rome, and Cupid
Cupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
whetting his darts) and the Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange is a title of nobility, originally associated with the Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France. In French it is la Principauté d'Orange....
(Paris
Paris (mythology)
Paris , the son of Priam, king of Troy, appears in a number of Greek legends. Probably the best-known was his elopement with Helen, queen of Sparta, this being one of the immediate causes of the Trojan War...
resting, a colossal marble for which Kessels received the Order of Leopold, now at the palace of Laeken). In the late 1820s Kessels renounced the pure classicism of Thorvaldsen in favour of the more seductive style of Canova and the pathos of the Italian Baroque, as in his Monument to the Comtesse de Celles (marble, 1828; Rome, Chiesa di San Giuliano dei Fiamminghi
Chiesa di San Giuliano dei Fiamminghi
The Church of St. Julian of the Flemings is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Julian the Hospitaller, located in Rome, Italy. Historically, the church has been the National Church in Rome of the Southern Netherlands and, in 1830, became the national church of the Kingdom of...
). The romantic emphasis of his Flood Scene (plaster, c. 1833) differentiates it from the works of his last period, which are imbued with religious sentimentality (Christ at the column, The four Evangelists, a bas relief of the head of Christ the Saviour, busts of Christ and the Virgin Mary and a Pietà
Pietà
The Pietà is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, most often found in sculpture. As such, it is a particular form of the Lamentation of Christ, a scene from the Passion of Christ found in cycles of the Life of Christ...
). Some of his other lesser works include Woman weeping over an urn, The genius of Art and a bust of Admiral Tromp. In Rome Kessels taught the Liege sculptors Louis Jehotte
Louis Jéhotte
Louis Jehotte was a prominent Belgian sculptor working in a realist tradition that was inflected, who was responsible for the bronze equestrian monument to Charlemagne erected in the boulevard d'Avroy, Liège, in 1867...
(c. 1803-84) and Eugene Simonis
Eugène Simonis
Louis-Eugène Simonis was a Belgian sculptor.-Career:Simonis studied under François-Joseph Dewandre at the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Liège and at the age of nineteen went to Italy, where he continued his studies in Bologna and Rome. When he returned to Belgium he accepted an instructor...
, who exerted an influence through their teaching at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
The Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels is an art school, founded in 1711.The faculty and alumni of ARBA include some of the most famous names in Belgian painting, sculpture, and architecture: James Ensor, Rene Magritte, and Paul Delvaux...
in Brussels. A bronze copy of his Disk thrower is in the gardens of the Palais des Académies in Brussels.
Matthias Kessels died in Rome while he was working on Saint Michael overcoming the Hydra of Anarchy for the church of Saint Gudula, now Brussels cathedral. On Kessels's death his studio, having been inventoried by Thorvaldsen, was acquired by the Belgian government and transferred to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium , is one of the most famous museums in Belgium.-The museum:...
, Brussels. The museum owns several plaster sculptures by Kessels: Discobole lançant le disque, Génie funèbre éteignant un flambeau, Monument funeraire de la comtesse (1832) and Scène du déluge (±1832-1835).
In our days, Kessels is no longer regarded as a major artist but he was famous in his time. As he belonged to the Roman school of neoclassical sculpture, founded by Canova and Thorvaldsen, along with Johann Gottfried Schadow
Johann Gottfried Schadow
Johann Gottfried Schadow was a German sculptor.-Biography:Schadow was born in Berlin, where his father was a poor tailor....
, Albert Wolff
Albert Wolff
Albert Wolff was a French conductor and composer of Dutch descent. Most of his career was spent in European venues, with the exception of two years that he spent as a conductor at the Metropolitan Opera and a few years in Buenos Aires during the Second World War...
and others, he strictly adhered to idealist aesthetics and to the laws prescribed by classical art.
Sources
- Ubachs, P.J.H. & Evers, I.M.H., Historische Encyclopedie Maastricht (2005)