Discus Thrower at The Fine Arts Museum of Brussels, Belgium by Scan The World

Description

This Sculptue is The Discus Thrower peparing to throw, completly naked. Captured in a moment, an instant, were the aim is to replicate to perfection of his muscles and the proportion and symmetria of his body. Mathieu Kessels (also known as Matthias or Matthijs) was born the son of a carpenter in Maastricht. One of his brother became an architect, another brother a famous clock maker, both of them in Hamburg. Mathieu was first apprenticed to a goldsmith in Venlo but soon gave up his apprenticeship to attend the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In 1806 he made his way, via Hamburg, to Saint Petersburg where he abode eight years, learning how to make wax models and sculptures of various kinds in the workshop of Joseph Camberlain. In 1815 he returned briefly to Venlo and Maastricht. He then spent several months atGirodet's studio in Paris, where his work was exhibited at the 1819 Salon. Being determined to go to Rome, he was accepted as an apprentice of theDanish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, probably in 1818. In a competition for young artists, organized by Venetian sculptor Antonio Canova, Kessels in 1819 won the highest award with his terracotta Saint Sebastian pierced by arrows, a piece of frank and beautiful workmanship. In Rome he became a member, later professor of the Academy of St. Luke and of the Institute of the Netherlands. He also was a member of the academies in Amsterdam (from 1824 onwards) and Antwerp. In Rome Kessels taught the Liege sculptors Louis Jehotte (c…