Born in London, Joseph Nollekens was the son of a Flemish genre painter. He trained with a Flemish sculptor in London before going to Rome in 1762. Gaining employment in Bartolomeo Cavaceppi's workshop, he restored ancient sculptures as well as terracottas by such artists as Michelangelo and Giambologna. In this venerable city, Nollekens learned from the antique, perfecting a Neoclassical style th
