STAPPEN, Fr. pron. sth'piisl, CHARLES PIERRE VAIN DER (1843,– ). A Belgian sculptor, born at Saint JoAseten-Noode, near Bruswls. He began his artistic training in 181;0, under the painter Portaels, but afterwards formed an inde pendent style in Paris under the influence of Rude, Alercie, and Carpeaux. 1-I is first successful production, the bluntly naturalistic "Faun's Toilet" (1869, gold medal, Brussels), brought him the election to the Brussels Academy. It was followed by "The Sorceress" ( 1872) and the "Alan with the Sword" (1876, Brussels :Museum). A sojourn of several years in Italy, during which lie studied Donatello and resulted in maturer works, of which a youthful "David" Academy) is the most remarkable. l'pon his return to Brussels, in I883, he was ap pointed professor at the Academy, and thereafter produced in rapid succession the allegorieal group of "instruction in Art" (Palais des Beaux Arts), "Saint 1.1lichael Overcoming Satan" (Stair
case, 'Hotel de Ville), and the statue of "William the Silent" (Place du Petit Sablon). Gradually developing an individual style of his own, which combines severe and lofty conception with a wholly untrammeled naturalistic treatment, lie aimed especially at a vigorous dramatic expres sion. His most noteworthy creations of this kind include "The Wrestlers," "The City Builders," and the "Chimera Fountain" ( l'a re du Cinquante naire, Brussels). He also fashioned numerous portrait, busts of great vivacity, genre figures, al legorical and realistic reliefs, designs for epergnes, candelabra, and various other objects of indus trial art, and contributed actively to the revival of the ehryselephantine statuary of Greek an tiquity, recently inaugurated in Belgium. Tn 1898 he was appointed director of the Brussels Academy.