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| Mathieu Kessels (1784–1836) | ||||||||||
| Kessels was a Neoclassical sculptor, goldsmith, and draftsman from Maastricht. After the death of his parents, he was raised by his uncle, a goldsmith in Venlo. His journey took him to Paris, where he continued his goldsmith work while also attending the drawing academy. After a brief stay in Hamburg, he travelled to St Petersburg in 1806, where he studied under Dutch sculptor Jozef Camberlain, creating works in wax and silver. He spent around eight years there before returning briefly to Maastricht in 1815, then returning to Paris to study under Anne-Louis Girodet. In 1819, he exhibited at the Salon before moving to Rome, where he worked in the studio of Bertel Thorvaldsen, the renowned Danish sculptor. Kessels contributed to Thorvaldsen's celebrated reliefs, Day and Night, in 1819. In Rome, he settled, married in 1820, and gained recognition for his statue of St Sebastian, winning an award at the Academy of St Luke in 1829 and later becoming its president. Known for his admiration of classical Greek art, he created larger works on this theme, while also excelling in religious subjects. He was appointed professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, but he died in Rome before taking up the position. Though not widely recognised today, Kessels was part of the Roman School, influenced by Antonio Canova and Thorvaldsen, adhering to the ideals of classical antiquity. | ||||||||||
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Art