Jean-Joseph Jaquet

Born in Antwerp in 1822, Jean-Joseph Jaquet was a Belgian sculptor renowned for his prolific output and exceptional craftsmanship. He regularly collaborated with his younger brother Jacques Jaquet (1830-1899).

He trained with Guillaume Geefs at the Brussels Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts, and was quickly appointed ‘professeur de modelage’, holding the position for almost forty years. Jaquet began exhibiting at the Brussels Art Salon in 1842, continuing to do so regularly until 1873.

Perhaps his best known work is the pair of lions which decorate the monumental staircase at the entrance of the former Brussels Stock Exchange building. The pair, created in 1872, symbolise the two stock market trends, akin to the ‘bull and the bear’ allegory. His other well-known works include an equestrian statue of Charles of Lorraine de Grande Marche and another equestrian monument depicting Baldwin I of Constantinople in Mons.

This marble bust wonderfully showcases Jaquet's skill as the lively expression and intricate headdress are rendered in meticulous detail. A bronze version of Mascarade was also created in 1857. This iteration closely mirrors the marble original in both design and execution.

RELATED LITERATURE

E. Bénézit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, vol. 7, Paris, 1999, p. 485;  P. Verbraeken, Living Marble, 2017, p. 50-51