Philips Alexander Nijs or Philip Nijs (27 May 1724 – 22 March 1805) was a Flemish sculptor and medalist known for his statues, church furniture and portrait busts. He was the court sculptor of

Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine Prince Charles Alexander Emanuel of Lorraine (; ; 12 December 1712 in Lunéville – 4 July 1780 in Tervuren) was a Duchy of Lorraine, Lorraine-born Habsburg monarchy, Austrian general and soldier, field marshal of the Imperial Army of the Holy ...

, the Governor of the Austrian Netherlands, who had his residence in Brussels. He is regarded as an important representative of the

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

in the Austrian Netherlands.Willem Nys, Edelsmeden in het Land van Waas 1688-1869. Een prosopografische studie
Proefschrift voorgedragen tot het bekomen van de graad van Doctor in de Kunstwetenschappen, Universiteit Gent, promotor: Prof. dr. Anna Bergmans, Academiejaar 2014-2015

Life

Philips Alexander Nijs was born in

Temse Temse (; ) is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in East Flanders, Belgium. The name Temse is derived from the Gallo-Roman/Gaul Tamisiacum or Tamasiacum. This is also reflected in the French name for the town, Tamise. The main sights in ...

on 27 May 1724. He was one of the 11 children of the sculptor

Adriaan Nijs Adriaan Nijs (6 June 1683 – 21 April 1771) was a Flemish sculptor active in the Waasland. He was educated in Antwerp, where he was a pupil of Hendrik Frans Verbruggen. At the end of his life he settled in Temse. His oeuvre is known for its pure ...

(Egidius Adrianus Nijs) and his father's first wife Joanna Catharina Van der Beke. His parents were from Antwerp but had moved to Temse as there was a lot of work for an experienced sculptor such as the renovation of the interior of the local church.Willem NYS, Joannes Baptiste Nijs (1714-1798). Tin- en loodgieter te Temse
in: Jaarboek Gemeentemuseum van Temse. Jaarboek 2007, p. 113-138 Father Adriaan had trained in Antwerp where he was registered in the local

Guild of Saint Luke The Guild of Saint Luke was the most common name for a city guild for painters and other artists in early modern Europe, especially in the Low Countries. They were named in honor of the Evangelist Luke, the patron saint of artists, who was iden ...

as a pupil of Andries van den Base in the guild year 1591/92. There is no record of his father becoming a master in the Antwerp Guild. His brothers also became artists or craftsmen: Johannes Franciscus became a silversmith and printmaker, Johannes Baptist a tin and lead founder and Judocus a diamond cutter. His mother died by drowning during a pleasure boat trip on the Scheldt on 15 November 1726 when Philips was only two years old. Bust of Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine Philips Alexander Nijs

Bust of Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine Philips Alexander Nijs

Nothing is known about his training but it likely occurred in the workshop of his father. Around 1748 he married Joanna Maria Peeters. The couple had 4 daughters and 7 sons. When

Charles Alexander of Lorraine Prince Charles Alexander Emanuel of Lorraine (; ; 12 December 1712 in Lunéville – 4 July 1780 in Tervuren) was a Lorraine-born Austrian general and soldier, field marshal of the Imperial Army, and governor of the Austrian Netherlands. Earl ...

, the Governor of the Austrian Netherlands, made an official visit to Temse he appointed Philips as his court sculptor. Nijs mentioned this title in his signature and in gilded letters above the door of his residence. He founded an art academy called ''Academie ofte Teekenconstkamer'' (Academy or drawing chamber) in his birthplace Temse in 1776.

Work

His known oeuvre is limited. He worked with his father on the church furniture of the Church of Our Lady in Temse. It is not always possible to distinguish between the contributions of father and son. A statue of

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

in the

Museum Mayer van den Bergh Museum Mayer van den Bergh is a museum in Antwerp, Belgium, the collection of which is based on the vast collection of the art dealer and collector Fritz Mayer van den Bergh (1858–1901). The majority of the art works and objects are from the Go ...

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

has been attributed variously to Philips and his father Adriaan. The terracotta statue is a design for a figure of a confessional in

Zele Zele () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders, around 20 kilometers east of Ghent. The municipality only comprises the town of Zele proper. In 2023, Zele had a total population of 21,374. The total area is 33km2 which ...

. He created two bust portraits of Charles of Lorraine, in respectively terracotta (the British Museum) and palm wood (

King Baudouin Foundation The King Baudouin Foundation (KBF) (, KBS; ) is a foundation based in Brussels (Belgium). It seeks to change society for the better and invests in inspiring projects and individuals. The Foundation was set up in 1976, on the occasion of the 25th ...

collection, formerly in the collection Maréchal Berthier, Prince de Wagram).

References

1724 births 1805 deaths 18th-century Flemish sculptors People from Temse {{Belgium-sculptor-stub