Pieter Verbruggen was a son of
Pieter Verbrugghen I, who was one of the leading Antwerp sculptors. His mother Cornelia Quellinus was the daughter of the Antwerp sculptor
Erasmus Quellinus I who had been the master of his father. He was admitted as a 'wijnmeester', i.e. son of a master, in the Antwerp
Guild of Saint Luke in the guild year 1660–1661. His father was at the time the deacon of the guild. After being admitted as a master of the Guild he remained to work in his father's workshop as a collaborator. He joined on 3 January 1675 the
Bentvueghels, an association of mainly Dutch and
Flemish artists working in Rome, where he took the nickname (referred to as 'bent name') 'Ballon' (
Dutch for 'balloon'). He was admitted to the Bentvueghels at the same time as
Abraham Genoels and François Moens. Pieter returned to Antwerp in 1677 where he worked as an engraver. He became dean of the Guild in 1691. He married Maria Isabella Heck in 1688. He died in Antwerp where he was buried in St. Andrew Church on 12 October 1691. Joannes Boecksent was his pupil. ==Work==