HUYSSENS, Pieter

Roman Catholicism, political opposition to Spain, and the painter Peter Paul Rubens were all responsible for the astonishing full-bodied character of Flemish Baroque. Rubens’s friends Jacques Francart and Pieter Huyssens created an influential northern centre for vigorous expansive Baroque architecture to which France, England, and Germany turned. Francart’s Beguinage Church (1629) at Mechelen and Huyssens’s St. Charles Borromeo (1615) at Antwerp set the stage for the more fully developed Baroque at St. Michel (1650) at Leuven, by Willem Hesius, as well as at the Abbey of Averbode (1664), by Jan van den Eynde.

The Jesuit church in Antwerp, first dedicated to St Ignatius, and later to St Charles Borromeo, was first designed by Father Franciscus Aguilonius (1566-1617), rector of the Antwerp monastery. After his death Jacques Francart continued the work in an Italian and classical style of architecture. After many design variations, finally a basilica-type church was built with a traditional nave arcade with galleries above.

The fa�ade, divided by pilasters is, however, recognizably derived from the Gesù in Rome. It is considerably enriched by sculpture, which ensures a plastic liveliness and creates its own distinct contrast between light and shade. This sculpture was executed by Johannes van Mildert from designs by Rubens, who was also responsible for the decoration of the ceilings of the side aisles and galleries with thirty-nine large paintings.

Roman Catholicism, political opposition to Spain, and the painter Peter Paul Rubens were all responsible for the astonishing full-bodied character of Flemish Baroque. Rubens’s friends Jacques Francart and Pieter Huyssens created an influential northern centre for vigorous expansive Baroque architecture to which France, England, and Germany turned. Francart’s Beguinage Church (1629) at Mechelen and Huyssens’s St. Charles Borromeo (1615) at Antwerp set the stage for the more fully developed Baroque at St. Michel (1650) at Leuven, by Willem Hesius, as well as at the Abbey of Averbode (1664), by Jan van den Eynde.

The Jesuit church in Antwerp, first dedicated to St Ignatius, and later to St Charles Borromeo, was first designed by Father Franciscus Aguilonius (1566-1617), rector of the Antwerp monastery. After his death Jacques Francart continued the work in an Italian and classical style of architecture. After many design variations, finally a basilica-type church was built with a traditional nave arcade with galleries above.

The fa�ade, divided by pilasters is, however, recognizably derived from the Gesù in Rome. It is considerably enriched by sculpture, which ensures a plastic liveliness and creates its own distinct contrast between light and shade. This sculpture was executed by Johannes van Mildert from designs by Rubens, who was also responsible for the decoration of the ceilings of the side aisles and galleries with thirty-nine large paintings.

Roman Catholicism, political opposition to Spain, and the painter Peter Paul Rubens were all responsible for the astonishing full-bodied character of Flemish Baroque. Rubens’s friends Jacques Francart and Pieter Huyssens created an influential northern centre for vigorous expansive Baroque architecture to which France, England, and Germany turned. Francart’s Beguinage Church (1629) at Mechelen and Huyssens’s St. Charles Borromeo (1615) at Antwerp set the stage for the more fully developed Baroque at St. Michel (1650) at Leuven, by Willem Hesius, as well as at the Abbey of Averbode (1664), by Jan van den Eynde.

The Jesuit church in Antwerp, first dedicated to St Ignatius, and later to St Charles Borromeo, was first designed by Father Franciscus Aguilonius (1566-1617), rector of the Antwerp monastery. After his death Jacques Francart continued the work in an Italian and classical style of architecture. After many design variations, finally a basilica-type church was built with a traditional nave arcade with galleries above.

The fa�ade, divided by pilasters is, however, recognizably derived from the Gesù in Rome. It is considerably enriched by sculpture, which ensures a plastic liveliness and creates its own distinct contrast between light and shade. This sculpture was executed by Johannes van Mildert from designs by Rubens, who was also responsible for the decoration of the ceilings of the side aisles and galleries with thirty-nine large paintings.

The design for the slender tower with its little round dome is distinctly northern-Italian in character. The design for it was drawn by Huyssens and retouched by Rubens. The sculptural storeys of this tower, accentuated in post-Michelangelesque style, were enriched in an original way with motifs from Venetian and Lombard Renaissance architecture.

The design for the slender tower with its little round dome is distinctly northern-Italian in character. The design for it was drawn by Huyssens and retouched by Rubens. The sculptural storeys of this tower, accentuated in post-Michelangelesque style, were enriched in an original way with motifs from Venetian and Lombard Renaissance architecture.

Huyssens had come into conflict with his own order, the Jesuits, which wanted to forbid him from practicing any longer as architect, because of the luxurious appearance and high cost of the Jesuit church in Antwerp.It may partly have been because of this that his last major commission came from the Benedictines in Ghent. In 1629 he began building a new abbey church for them, dedicated to Our Lady and St Peter. He was never to complete this building, which would be the largest he had ever designed. Only the choir was ready by the time he died in 1637.

As a type the relatively wide, two storey fa�ade seems to go emphatically back to that of the Gesù in Rome, as Huyssens had also used it for the fa�ade of the Antwerp Jesuit church.

Huyssens had come into conflict with his own order, the Jesuits, which wanted to forbid him from practicing any longer as architect, because of the luxurious appearance and high cost of the Jesuit church in Antwerp.It may partly have been because of this that his last major commission came from the Benedictines in Ghent. In 1629 he began building a new abbey church for them, dedicated to Our Lady and St Peter. He was never to complete this building, which would be the largest he had ever designed. Only the choir was ready by the time he died in 1637.

As a type the relatively wide, two storey fa�ade seems to go emphatically back to that of the Gesù in Rome, as Huyssens had also used it for the fa�ade of the Antwerp Jesuit church.

The Jesuit church of Saint-Loup in Namur was started in 1621. The lively sculptural treatment of the fa�ade is achieved especially by the rich alternation between the subdividing half-columns and the ornamental sculpture.

The photo shows the fa�ade of the church. The church faces a narrow street in the centre of the city, so there is hardly room to appreciate its fa�ade with the adequate perspective.

The Jesuit church of Saint-Loup in Namur was started in 1621. The lively sculptural treatment of the fa�ade is achieved especially by the rich alternation between the subdividing half-columns and the ornamental sculpture.

The photo shows the fa�ade of the church. The church faces a narrow street in the centre of the city, so there is hardly room to appreciate its fa�ade with the adequate perspective.

The Jesuit church in Bruges, dedicated to St Walburga and designed in 1619, but not started until 1628, has a semi-circular chancel, and its interior is enlivened by the projecting and receding entablature, with its many ledges and groves. Its proportions still point towards the style of the Gesù in Rome, but in his greater emphasis on verticality and particularly in the stronger sculptural treatment of the round pilasters Huyssens seems to have had Francart’s innovative ideas in mind.

The Jesuit church in Bruges, dedicated to St Walburga and designed in 1619, but not started until 1628, has a semi-circular chancel, and its interior is enlivened by the projecting and receding entablature, with its many ledges and groves. Its proportions still point towards the style of the Gesù in Rome, but in his greater emphasis on verticality and particularly in the stronger sculptural treatment of the round pilasters Huyssens seems to have had Francart’s innovative ideas in mind.

In the interior the monumental barrel vault is of Italian origin, it calls up memories both of the Gesù and of St Peter’s. An Italian style monumentality was clearly intended; hence, too, the import of marble columns from Italy for the interior.

The church boasted numerous paintings and ceiling paintings by Rubens which were unfortunately destroyed during a fire in 1718. After the fire the church was given a more sober interior.

The Lady Chapel, built between 1622 and 1625 on the south side, also has a markedly Italian stamp. In the interior we are immediately struck by the open-work barrel vault, resting on pendentives, and the curving style which displays a strong dynamic accent.

Huyssens had come into conflict with his own order, the Jesuits, which wanted to forbid him from practicing any longer as architect, because of the luxurious appearance and high cost of the Jesuit church in Antwerp.It may partly have been because of this that his last major commission came from the Benedictines in Ghent. In 1629 he began building a new abbey church for them, dedicated to Our Lady and St Peter. He was never to complete this building, which would be the largest he had ever designed. Only the choir was ready by the time he died in 1637.

In spite of the traditional rib vaulting, the interior is of a grandeur and monumentality never before known in the Netherlands. This effect is produced mainly by the enormous piers, flanked by Corinthian pilasters and running up through two storeys. This and the great dome resting on pendentives, gives the architecture of the interior a very centralized impression.

This church in many respects makes a more truly Baroque impression than the churches Huyssens had designed earlier. This remarkable feature may certainly be ascribed to the fact that meanwhile he had been able to see contemporary Italian architecture at first hand himself in Rome.

Huyssens had come into conflict with his own order, the Jesuits, which wanted to forbid him from practicing any longer as architect, because of the luxurious appearance and high cost of the Jesuit church in Antwerp.It may partly have been because of this that his last major commission came from the Benedictines in Ghent. In 1629 he began building a new abbey church for them, dedicated to Our Lady and St Peter. He was never to complete this building, which would be the largest he had ever designed. Only the choir was ready by the time he died in 1637.

In spite of the traditional rib vaulting, the interior is of a grandeur and monumentality never before known in the Netherlands. This effect is produced mainly by the enormous piers, flanked by Corinthian pilasters and running up through two storeys. This and the great dome resting on pendentives, gives the architecture of the interior a very centralized impression.

This church in many respects makes a more truly Baroque impression than the churches Huyssens had designed earlier. This remarkable feature may certainly be ascribed to the fact that meanwhile he had been able to see contemporary Italian architecture at first hand himself in Rome.

The photo shows the interior of the dome.

The lively decorative effect of the fa�ade is repeated in the interior in the rich pattern of ornamentation of the ceiling. An Italian innovation is that this ceiling rests on pendentives.

The photo shows a view of the nave.

The lively decorative effect of the fa�ade is repeated in the interior in the rich pattern of ornamentation of the ceiling. An Italian innovation is that this ceiling rests on pendentives.

The photo shows the vault of the nave.