page_title: Lucas Faydherbe
section_title: Life
hierarchical_section_title: Lucas Faydherbe / Life
context_page_description: Lucas Faydherbe was a Flemish sculptor and architect who played a major role in the development of the High Baroque in the Southern Netherlands.
context_section_description: Lucas Faydherbe was the first son of Hendrik Faydherbe and his second wife Cornelia Franchoys.  His mother came from an artist family: her father was the successful painter Lucas Franchoys the Elder and her brothers Lucas and Peter were also accomplished painters. His father’s sister Maria Faydherbe was recognised as a talented sculptor.  Faydherbe’s father ran a workshop for decorative sculpture and alabaster carving. Here Lucas learned the basics of sculpture. His father died when Lucas was twelve years old. His mother remarried with the sculptor Maximilian Labbé a year later.  Lucas continued his training under Labbé.
  When he was nineteen years old he was accepted as an apprentice in the workshop of Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp, an enormous privilege given the hundreds of applicants for a limited number of places.  After three years, he unexpectedly left Rubens’ workshop to marry Maria Snyers who was expecting his child. He was also forced to abandon his plans to travel to Italy.  Faydherbe returned to his hometown Mechelen where, thanks to the intercession of Rubens, he was quickly accepted as a master in the local Guild of St. Luke. Based in Mechelen, he also worked in Brussels, Antwerp and Oudenaarde.
  His family expanded to twelve children. His son Jan-Lucas became a sculptor like his father and assisted him on various commissions.
  Problems with the local Guild of St. Luke turned him into one of the most ardent advocates of the establishment of an art academy in Mechelen, following the example of Brussels and Antwerp. His attempts were, however, not successful.
  Faydherbe often collaborated with other sculptors in the execution of large-scale religious projects.  For instance on the various projects he undertook in the St Rumbold's Cathedral in Mechelen, Rombaut Pauwels assisted him on the funeral monument of Archbishop Andreas Creusen (1660) and an altar (1660-1665) and Mattheus van Beveren assisted him with the painted wood and stone main altar.
  Faydherbe’s wife died in 1693, and he himself three years after that.
  His pupils included Jan van Delen, Frans Langhemans, Jan-Frans Boeckstuyns and Nicolas van der Veken.
caption: Bust of Hercules, Collection King Baudouin Foundation
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