Jacques de Braekeleer (Antwerp 1823 - 1906)
Leda and the Swan
terracotta
height 22 cm
signed and dated 'J. De Braekeleer 1874'
Jacques De Braekeleer (Antwerp, March 30, 1823 – Borgerhout, October 25, 1906) was a Flemish sculptor. The subjects of his works were both religious and historical in nature, and occasionally...
Jacques De Braekeleer (Antwerp, March 30, 1823 – Borgerhout, October 25, 1906) was a Flemish sculptor. The subjects of his works were both religious and historical in nature, and occasionally they included genre pieces. He spent his entire life in Antwerp and Borgerhout, except for a journey to Paris. The Portrait of Théophile Smekens is one of his works.
Jacques De Braekeleer was the brother of Adriaan De Braekeleer. Their father was the brother of Ferdinand De Braekeleer, who was the father of Ferdinand II De Braekeleer and Henri De Braekeleer. With the exception of Jacques' and Adriaan's father, all were recognized artists, either renowned or less well-known. Henri Leys was also related to the De Braekeleers, as he was the uncle of Ferdinand II and Henri. It is reasonable to assume that, given this artistic tradition, Jacques received some instruction from his uncle and possibly his cousins.
After his education at the Royal Athenaeum of Antwerp, he trained as a sculptor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where he was taught by, among others, Van Hool. On the recommendation of a Brussels art dealer, Jacques De Braekeleer traveled to Paris during his studies, where he learned from Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse and Francisque Joseph Duret. Later, he became a professor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp.
Most of his public works are located in Antwerp. Among others, Jacques De Braekeleer created the statue of Quinten Matsys, which currently stands in Baron Dhanis Square in Antwerp. He also collaborated with Jean-Jacques Winders on the Schelde Vrij monument in 1883 and created various facade decorations, such as those for the Bourla Theatre and the National Bank of Belgium. One of his works is even located in Buenos Aires, a commission he received after being knighted into the Order of Leopold.
Apart from these large-scale pieces, de Braekeleer also produced smaller works, such as the terracotta bozzetti in the Charles Van Herck collection (on permanent loan to the KMSKA, Antwerp) and the present work. The present wonderfully sensuous Leda and the Swan, previously unknown, is a recent rediscovery. Elegantly modeled and fully signed and dated, it is a beautiful addition to de Braekeleer’s oeuvre. Stylistically, it is quite close to de Braekeleer’s Mother and Child (KMSKA, inv. No. CVH 106), which is dated one year later.