Artwork
Two Sculptors at Night in Rome. Double Portrait of Francois Duquesnoy and Georg Petel
Two Sculptors at Night in Rome. Double Portrait of Francois Duquesnoy and Georg Petel is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Adam de Coster. It dates from 1622 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1622, *Two Sculptors at Night in Rome* is an oil painting by the Flemish artist Adam de Coster, who worked primarily in Antwerp. The work portrays the sculptors François Duquesnoy and Georg Petel within a dimly lit interior, illuminated by a single candle. It belongs to the collection of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents the two artists side by side: Duquesnoy holds a small marble figure, while both men study it attentively. Their garments—a fur‑trimmed coat with a red shirt on the left and a green robe on the right—contrast with the surrounding darkness, emphasizing a contemplative atmosphere centered on the act of creation.
Technique & Style
De Coster employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, a hallmark of the Antwerp Caravaggisti, to model forms through stark light‑and‑shadow contrasts. The candlelight creates a warm glow on the faces and the sculpture, while the background recedes into deep shadow, reinforcing spatial depth and the nocturnal mood for which the artist was nicknamed “Pictor Noctium.”
History & Provenance
The painting reflects de Coster’s engagement with the Caravaggesque movement that spread across Europe in the early seventeenth century. After remaining in private hands for several centuries, it entered the Statens Museum for Kunst’s holdings, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s Baroque collection.
Context
Both Duquesnoy and Petel were prominent sculptors active in Rome during the early 1600s, known for their work in marble and bronze. Their inclusion in de Coster’s nocturnal scene underscores the cross‑disciplinary dialogue between painting and sculpture in the period, as well as the artist’s interest in portraying fellow creators at work.
Artist & collection
Artist
Adam de Coster (c. 1586 in Mechelen – 4 May 1643 in Antwerp) was a Flemish painter. He was a prominent member of the Antwerp Caravaggisti. These Caravaggisti were part of an international movement of European artists…
