Brief Biography-François Duquesnoy, called Il Fiammingo, was born in Brussels; he went to Italy in 1618, where he became a friend of Poussin and eventually found favourable patronage in Rome. Statues by Giovanni da Bologna influenced his works, and he worked for Bernini on the Baldacchino in Saint Peter’s; his statue of Saint Andrew is one of four around the altar.
Duquesnoy’s fame spread with his output of small statues and carvings of putti, and he accepted a position as a court painter for Louis XIII in 1643. Unfortunately, he died on his way to France due to an ongoing illness.
His father, Jérôme, the Elder, was responsible for the famous Manneken pis statue in Brussels. His brother and pupil in Rome, Jérôme, the Younger, became a successful sculptor in Brussels. However, his career ended while working in Saint Bravo’s Cathedral, Ghent, after being tried for sodomy and executed in 1654.