A head of a young boy - Flemish school, 17th century

We see the head of a boy, carved from marble. He turns his head slightly to one side and has a gentle expression. On the top of his head we see thick, sturdy curls that just cover his ears.
Children’s heads and putti were a favourite subject in Flemish Baroque sculpture. The Brussels-born sculptor François Duquesnoy (1597-1643), who worked in Rome, set the example with his plump putti with carefully observed children’s heads, a type that also recurs in the paintings of Rubens. Artus Quellinus I trained in 1635-1639 in Duquesnoy’s studio in Rome and brought Duquesnoy’s classicising Baroque style, based on classical sculpture, to Antwerp. Putti in Duquesnoy’s manner remained a favourite Flemish theme for a long time.

Sculpted in marble
Dimensions: 55 cm