The Dutch Republic had few homegrown sculptors of quality and had relied since the middle of the 17th century on Flemish artists to supply its wealthy bourgeoisie and nobility with statues and architectural decorations.
This trend started with the Flemish sculptor Artus Quellinus the Elder who from 1650 onwards worked for 15 years on the new city hall in Amsterdam.
This building and the many Flemish sculptors who joined Quellinus to work on this project had an important influence on Dutch Baroque sculpture.
They include Rombout Verhulst, Jan Claudius de Cock, Pieter Xavery, Bartholomeus Eggers and Francis van Bossuit.
[8] He taught his son Jan-Baptist as well as Jan Huseel, Guillielmus van den Bosch, Daniel Loos, Pedro Misorte, Theodor Franchis d'Uzaine and Joannes de Wyse.
[10] Xavery made the marble statue of the Abduction of a Sabine woman (1696), which is inspired by the work of the 16th century Flemish sculptor Giambologna (1574–82, Loggia dei Lanzi).