DELCOUR, Jean

In Delcour’s later work the influence of Bernini is even stronger than before, as is demonstrated by the Dead Christ which Delcour made in 1696 for the tomb of the burgomaster of Li�ge, Walter de Liverloo.

Saint Hubertus or Hubert of Li�ge (c. 656 -727) became Bishop of Li�ge in 708 AD. He is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians, and metalworkers.

Delcour’s closest approach to the particular quality of Bernini’s sculpture is found in his larger than life-size figures of saints for the piers of the Church of St Jacques in Liege, which he made between 1682 and 1696. Particularly his St James the Greater stands out for the open nature of its sculpture, the emotionality of its facial expression and gestures, the loose, pictorial fall of its folds and the flickering play of shadows as the light falls on. With his grand gesture of submission the apostle is clearly a reminder of Bernini’s Longinus.

Delcour’s master work is the Tomb of Bishop Eugenius-Albertus d’Allamont. It forms part of the monumental assemblage of episcopal tombs in the choir of Ghent Cathedral, deliberately and organically linked to the high altar in their layout, which had been started by J�r�me Duquesnoy the Younger in 1651-54 with his Tomb of Bishop Triest. Like Triest’s tomb, Delcour’s monument has three elements, with the bishop kneeling on his tomb between an archangel and the Virgin Mary. Unlike Duquesnoy, he has brought the three figures into a lively and dramatic composition for which Bernini’s emotional characterization clearly laid down the guidelines. Individual details and motifs show that Bernini had left his stamp on Delcour’s style. For example, the skeleton holding a scroll appearing before the kneeling bishop is a striking reminder of the similar motif on the tomb of Urban VIII in St Peter’s.

Delcour’s master work is the Tomb of Bishop Eugenius-Albertus d’Allamont. It forms part of the monumental assemblage of episcopal tombs in the choir of Ghent Cathedral, deliberately and organically linked to the high altar in their layout, which had been started by J�r�me Duquesnoy the Younger in 1651-54 with his Tomb of Bishop Triest. Like Triest’s tomb, Delcour’s monument has three elements, with the bishop kneeling on his tomb between an archangel and the Virgin Mary. Unlike Duquesnoy, he has brought the three figures into a lively and dramatic composition for which Bernini’s emotional characterization clearly laid down the guidelines. Individual details and motifs show that Bernini had left his stamp on Delcour’s style. For example, the skeleton holding a scroll appearing before the kneeling bishop is a striking reminder of the similar motif on the tomb of Urban VIII in St Peter’s.

Delcour’s master work is the Tomb of Bishop Eugenius-Albertus d’Allamont. It forms part of the monumental assemblage of episcopal tombs in the choir of Ghent Cathedral, deliberately and organically linked to the high altar in their layout, which had been started by J�r�me Duquesnoy the Younger in 1651-54 with his Tomb of Bishop Triest. Like Triest’s tomb, Delcour’s monument has three elements, with the bishop kneeling on his tomb between an archangel and the Virgin Mary. Unlike Duquesnoy, he has brought the three figures into a lively and dramatic composition for which Bernini’s emotional characterization clearly laid down the guidelines. Individual details and motifs show that Bernini had left his stamp on Delcour’s style. For example, the skeleton holding a scroll appearing before the kneeling bishop is a striking reminder of the similar motif on the tomb of Urban VIII in St Peter’s.