Netherlandish Baroque Ivory Plaque in High Relief

Period: 1600-1700

Origin: Netherlands

Medium: Ivory

Literature: Francis Van Bossuit was born in Brussels and trained in Brussels and Antwerp before going to Italy around 1655-1660 where he became member of the Netherlandish artists guild in Rome. By 1685 he had returned to the Netherlands and settled in Amsterdam. He specialised in ivory plaques carved in high relief, often with the background finely cut to reveal light shining through the scene as in a silhouette. He took his inspiration from the master painters of the baroque such as Titian for the religious and classical subjects of his plaques, which are distinguished by the skill of his carving. Before his death in 1692, he had an influential role in bringing the Roman baroque style in ivory sculpture to Northern Europe.