Godebski arrived in Belgium probably invited by his uncle, Józef Kalasanty Godebski, who lived there. He undertook the decoration of the façade (and probably also the interior) of Adrien-François Servais's villa in Hal. In 1865 he became engaged to Sophie, daughter of this famous cello virtuoso and composer; their wedding took place at Hal, shortly before Servais' death. To his father-in-law's contacts, the sculptor then owed numerous commissions in Belgium and in international music circles. Godebski's greatest work in Belgium, however, became a monument to his father-in-law in the main square of his home town. He received the commission from the town council very quickly and without any reservations. Godebski executed the monument during periods of visits to Hal, generally staying in St Petersburg.

A statue of the virtuoso on a high plinth, it depicts him in contemporary costume, holding a cello. At his feet, a carved laurel wreath with the inscription 'Odessa', alludes to an authentic event - a gift from the Odessa aristocracy, who presented him with a wreath of gold after Servais' concert. This was the sculptor's first realisation of a full-figure monument, which subsequently became one of his specialities - at the same time, it is arguably the best of this type of work in his entire oeuvre. Godebski combined the monumental dimension of commemorating a prominent figure with a realistic, almost generic depiction.

The inscriptions on the pedestal are in Flemish (the French have been removed).

Godebski made still smaller replicas of the monument, including one for the family. In 1882, he also made a marble portrait of him in bust, for the Conservatoire Royal de Musique in Brussels (where it still stands today). Servais's statue became very popular and became a landmark of the city; it appears on most of the publications and posters of the Servais Association in Hal, and on the covers of the composer's music CDs.

The statue regained its lustre after extensive restoration in 1999.