Louis Royer (19 June 1793 – 5 June 1868), also Lodewyk Royer, was a Flemish

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

who worked in the Netherlands where he received many commissions from the royal family and for public statues.

Life

Apprenticeship

He was born in

Mechelen Mechelen (; ; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in EnglishMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical context. T ...

where he first studied at the local Academy and from 1810 in the studio of Jan Frans van Geel. After studying in Paris for a year, he went to live in Amsterdam in 1820. At the time what is now Belgium and the Netherlands were united in one kingdom under the rule of the Dutch. In 1823 he was the first sculptor to win the Dutch version of the Dutch Prix de Rome, a prize that was re-instituted by

King William I William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

in 1817.Louis Royer
at HadrianusLouis Royer
at the

Netherlands Institute for Art History The Netherlands Institute for Art History or RKD (Dutch: ), previously Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), is located in The Hague and is home to the largest art history center in the world. The center specializes in document ...

The Prix allowed Royer to study in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

where he came under classicist influences. He worked in an area close to the

Spanish Steps The Spanish Steps () in Rome, Italy, climb a steep slope between Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the Trinità dei Monti church, at the top. The monumental stairway of 135 steps is linked with the Trinit� ...

where he must have been in contact with

Bertel Thorvaldsen Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen (; sometimes given as Thorwaldsen; 19 November 1770 – 24 March 1844) was a Danes, Danish-Icelanders, Icelandic Sculpture, sculptor and medallist, medalist of international fame, who spent most of his life (1797–183 ...

and the studio of

Antonio Canova Antonio Canova (; 1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was an Italians, Italian Neoclassical sculpture, Neoclassical sculptor, famous for his marble sculptures. Often regarded as the greatest of the Neoclassical artists,. his sculpture was ins ...

, who was already deceased but whose workshop with his pupils was still operational. While in Rome, Royers experienced financial difficulties because of the problems of the commission which awarded him the Dutch Prix de Rome and the bankruptcy of his patron, the Amsterdam stockbroker A.B. Roothaan. Despite these problems, Royer remained very productive, and only found time to travel once, to

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

. In Rome he sculpted a portrait of his friend, the painter

Cornelis Kruseman Cornelis Kruseman (; 25 September 1797 – 14 November 1857) was a Dutch painter, draughtsman, etcher, lithographer, silhouettist, paper-cut artist, and art collector.Pope Leo XII Pope Leo XII (; born Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiorre Girolamo Nicola della Genga; 2 August 1760 – 10 February 1829) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 28 September 1823 to his death in February 1829. ...

, whom he portrayed from life.

Return to the Netherlands

In 1827 Royer returned from Rome and settled in The Hague, an important artistic centre after the royal family had moved there from Amsterdam. He was soon appointed court sculptor and he made portraits of all members of the royal family in busts of marble. Shortly afterwards he was also appointed director of the Royal Academy of Art in Amsterdam. After moving to Amsterdam in 1837, Royer received many public commissions for statues of leading personalities from Dutch history, such as the statues of

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and Drawing, draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in ...

and

Joost van den Vondel Joost van den Vondel (; 17 November 1587 – 5 February 1679) was a Dutch playwright, poet, literary translator and writer. He is generally regarded as the greatest writer in the Dutch language as well as an important figure in the history of Wes ...

in Amsterdam,

William the Silent William the Silent or William the Taciturn (; 24 April 153310 July 1584), more commonly known in the Netherlands as William of Orange (), was the leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish Habsburg Netherlands, Habsburgs that set off the ...

in The Hague and

Michiel de Ruyter Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter (; 24 March 1607 – 29 April 1676) was a Dutch States Navy officer. His achievements with the Dutch navy during the Anglo-Dutch Wars earned him the reputation as one of the most skilled naval commanders in ...

in Vlissingen.K. Middelhoff, ''Louis Royer - De Vlaamse beeldhouwer die De Zwijger deed spreken''
in: Neerlandia. Jaargang 98. Algemeen Nederlands Verbond, Den Haag / Putte 1994, p. 3-7 His monumental sculptures of Dutch national heroes gave form to the rising nationalism in the country that had recently recovered its independence after French occupation and wanted to be reminded of its glorious past.Sheila D. Muller, ''Dutch Art: An Encyclopedia'', Routledge, 4 Jul, 2013, p. 338 Royer was in 1839 one of the founders of the artist society

Arti et Amicitiae Arti et Amicitiae (lat .: For Art and Friendship) is a Dutch artist's society founded in 1839, and located on the Rokin in Amsterdam. The Society (also called Arti for short) has played a key role in the Netherlands art scene and in particular in ...

in Amsterdam. Royer's work received wide public recognition and he was given a Royal award three times. After his death in Amsterdam in 1868, Royer's widow offered the estate of her husband to the Dutch State. The refusal of the offer was communicated by politician Thorbecke whose bust Royer had previously made. The estate was subsequently auctioned and an important part of it was bought by intimates and friends of the artist.Kees Fens, ''Een dodenmasker als enige persoonlijke schepping''
in de Volkskrant of 19 December 1994

Work

Royer was during his lifetime the most important sculptor in the Netherlands. He was known as the "Canova of the Netherlands" and later he was simply referred to as "the sculptor." He had virtually no competition. In addition to monumental works, he made many salon portraits, allegorical representations and works with religious subjects including reliefs for the St. Francis Xavier Church in Amsterdam. He worked principally in marble, terracotta, earthenware and plaster. He was trained in the Flemish

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

style and later came under the influence of

Classicism Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aesthe ...

while studying in Paris and Rome. His works were inspired by classical sculpture and have an idealising character. He is thus close to the French and Flemish academism that he was familiar with through his training. Many of his drawings have been preserved. After Classicism had fallen out of fashion, Royer was quickly forgotten by the general public. In an attempt to save him from oblivion the Museum Amstelkring in Amsterdam organized in 1994 a retrospective of his work, which coincided with an exhibition of contemporary photos of his statues in the Flemish cultural centre De Brakke Grond in Amsterdam. He trained many pupils including August Allebé, David Adolph Constant Artz, Hein Burgers, Gottlob Christoph Jacob Fischer, Eduard François Georges, S. van der Goen,

Jozef Israëls Jozef Israëls (; 27 January 1824 – 12 August 1911) was a Dutch Painting, painter. He was a leading member of the group of landscape painters referred to as the Hague School and was, during his lifetime, "the most respected Dutch artist of th ...

, Cornelis Nicolaas Looman, Johan Philip Menger, Eduard Roskam, Theo Simons, Hendrik D. Jzn Sluyter, Johan Hendrik Stöver, Joseph Tuerlinckx and Elisabeth Verwoert.

Life

Apprenticeship

Return to the Netherlands

Work

References

Further reading