Quellinus family

The Quellinus family was a lineage of Flemish artists associated chiefly with Antwerp and active from the early seventeenth century into the early eighteenth century. The family included painters, sculptors, and a drawing artist, and several members were important participants in the artistic culture of the Baroque period. Their work reflects the mobility and interconnectedness of early modern European art, with family members working not only in Antwerp but also in other commercial and cultural centers, including the Dutch Republic, Copenhagen, and London. The family’s best-known figures include Erasmus Quellinus the Younger, a painter born in 1607; Artus Quellinus I, a major sculptor born in 1609; Hubertus Quellinus, a draughtsman born in 1619; and Artus Quellinus II, a sculptor born in 1625. Other recorded members include Erasmus Quellinus I, a sculptor active around the turn of the seventeenth century; Jan Erasmus Quellinus, a painter born in 1634; Artus Quellinus III, a sculptor who died in London in 1686; Cornelis Quellinus, a painter; and Thomas Quellinus, a sculptor who worked in Copenhagen. The family is notable not as a commercial brand or corporate organization but as an artistic dynasty. Its members’ shared surname, kinship, professional networks, and participation in related artistic traditions provide a useful lens for understanding the transmission of skills and artistic careers in the Flemish Baroque. Sculpture was particularly prominent within the family, although painting and drawing were also represented. Several members belonged to different generations, creating a succession of practitioners who carried the name into new markets and artistic environments. The Quellinus name is especially associated with Antwerp, an important center of painting, sculpture, publishing, and trade. From there, members of the family participated in a wider Northern European art world. Their careers demonstrate how artists could move between cities and courts, religious institutions, workshops, and international patrons. Thomas Quellinus’s activity in Copenhagen and Artus Quellinus III’s death in London indicate that the family’s geographic reach extended beyond the Southern Netherlands. The documented family members were active mainly during the seventeenth century, with some careers continuing into the early eighteenth century. The family has no known contemporary corporate structure, successor company, or active consumer-facing brand. In encyclopedia terms, “Quellinus family” identifies a historical family of artists rather than a single artist, legal entity, product line, or operating institution.

The Quellinus family was a Flemish family of artists active primarily in the seventeenth century and associated with Antwerp. Its members worked across several disciplines, including sculpture, painting, and drawing. The family’s history spans multiple generations and illustrates the importance of kinship, workshop training, and professional networks in the artistic life of early modern Flanders. Erasmus Quellinus I, also known as Erasmus Quellinus the Elder, was a sculptor born around 1584 and active until his death in 1639 or 1640. His family connections established the Quellinus name within the artistic milieu of Antwerp. The next generation included Erasmus Quellinus the Younger, born in 1607, who became a painter, and Artus Quellinus I, born in 1609, who became a sculptor. Their careers placed the family among the established artistic circles of the Flemish Baroque. Hubertus Quellinus, born in 1619, was known as a drawing artist. Artus Quellinus II, born in 1625, was another prominent sculptor and is identified as the younger Artus Quellinus. He was a nephew of Erasmus Quellinus I, demonstrating the close familial relationships that linked the family’s successive generations. Jan Erasmus Quellinus, born in 1634, continued the family’s work in painting and lived until 1715, making him one of the family members whose career extended furthest into the eighteenth century. The later generation included Artus Quellinus III, a sculptor born in 1653 who died in London in 1686, Cornelis Quellinus, a painter born in 1658 who died in 1709, and Thomas Quellinus, a sculptor born in 1661 who died in 1709. Thomas Quellinus is associated with Copenhagen, while the recorded death of Artus Quellinus III in London indicates that members of the family worked or traveled outside the Southern Netherlands. The family’s artistic range was broad but coherent within the cultural conditions of the period. Sculpture was represented by several generations, while painting was practiced by Erasmus Quellinus the Younger, Jan Erasmus Quellinus, and Cornelis Quellinus. Hubertus Quellinus contributed through drawing. Together, these careers reflect the interconnected nature of artistic production in the Flemish Baroque, when painters, sculptors, draughtsmen, publishers, patrons, and workshops operated within overlapping networks. The Quellinus family should therefore be understood as a historical artistic lineage rather than a formal organization. The available reference material identifies the principal members and their occupations but does not establish a precise founding date, a single workshop charter, a family business, or a continuous institution. Its historical significance lies in the number of artists it produced, the range of media they practiced, and the geographic spread of their careers across Northern Europe.

• 1715

  Death of Jan Erasmus Quellinus

  [1]Quellinus familyen.wikipedia.org

  Jan Erasmus Quellinus died, marking the end of the documented lifespan of the family’s principal painters in the reference list.

• 1661

  Birth of Thomas Quellinus

  [1]Quellinus familyen.wikipedia.org

  Thomas Quellinus was born and later worked as a sculptor in Copenhagen.

• 1653

  Birth of Artus Quellinus III

  [1]Quellinus familyen.wikipedia.org

  Artus Quellinus III was born into the later generation of the family and became a sculptor.

• 1634

  Birth of Jan Erasmus Quellinus

  [1]Quellinus familyen.wikipedia.org

  Jan Erasmus Quellinus was born and later pursued a career as a painter.

• 1625

  Birth of Artus Quellinus II

  [1]Quellinus familyen.wikipedia.org

  Artus Quellinus II, also known as Artus Quellinus the Younger, was born and became a sculptor.

• 1619

  Birth of Hubertus Quellinus

  [1]Quellinus familyen.wikipedia.org

  Hubertus Quellinus was born and later worked as a drawing artist.

• 1609

  Birth of Artus Quellinus I

  [1]Quellinus familyen.wikipedia.org

  Artus Quellinus I was born and became one of the family’s principal sculptors.

• 1607

  Birth of Erasmus Quellinus the Younger

  [1]Quellinus familyen.wikipedia.org

  Erasmus Quellinus the Younger was born and later established a career as a painter.

• 1584

  Birth of Erasmus Quellinus I

  [1]Quellinus familyen.wikipedia.org

  Erasmus Quellinus I, also called Erasmus Quellinus the Elder, was born around this year and later became a sculptor.

Historical Flemish artistic dynasty associated with Baroque painting, sculpture, and drawing.

• Visual art

  Sculpture

  Sculpture was the most extensively represented artistic discipline within the Quellinus family. Erasmus Quellinus I, Artus Quellinus I, Artus Quellinus II, Artus Quellinus III, and Thomas Quellinus are identified as sculptors. Their careers extended across Antwerp and other European centers, including Copenhagen and London.

• Visual art

  Painting

  Painting was practiced by several members of the family, including Erasmus Quellinus the Younger, Jan Erasmus Quellinus, and Cornelis Quellinus. These painters formed part of the broader Flemish artistic tradition associated with Antwerp and the Baroque period.

• Visual art

  Drawing

  Hubertus Quellinus is identified as a drawing artist, adding graphic art to the family’s range of professional practices.

1. 1Quellinus familyen.wikipedia.org