Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp

Publiek Domein

Groenplaats 21, Antwerpen

For centuries, the elegant spire of the Cathedral of Our Lady has dominated Antwerp’s skyline. The people of Antwerp take great pride in this magnificent structure, which is praised for its architectural grandeur, aesthetics and historical importance. People have been coming to this place to pray for over a thousand years. Construction of the current Gothic building began in 1352. The great north tower was completed almost 170 years later, in 1518, and the cross on the spire consecrated. Despite an eventful history with many calamities and setbacks, the Gothic church is still there today. Traces of various art historical movements can be found in it, with the oldest elements dating back to the 14th century and the most recent additions being contemporary. Each century has left its mark on this monument, transforming Antwerp’s Cathedral into a giant memory palace.

The Elevation of the Cross (1609-1610) – Peter Paul Rubens

Rubens did not make this painting for the cathedral but for Walburgiskerk or the Church of St Walburga in Antwerp. Under French reign, it was taken to Paris. It was returned to Antwerp after the fall of Napoleon and given a place in our cathedral. What makes this triptych so unique is that the three panels form one continuous scene. Ordinarily, a triptych consists of three different scenes, but this one is an exception to the rule. Rubens’s painting is breathtaking because of how he chose to paint it. You feel as if you are sucked into this compelling scene, as if you are a witness to Jesus’ crucifixion. This painting is a dazzling firework of sound, smell and colour, an explosion of emotions. This ties in perfectly with the strategy of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. While Protestants placed more emphasis on preaching the Word of God and reason, the Catholic Church focused on the senses and emotions, something Rubens excelled at.

Schilderij van Rubens de Kruisoprichting

Een schilderij met de verrijzenis van Christus

Hugo Maertens, Lukas Art

Resurrection of Christ (1611-1612) - Peter Paul Rubens

The smallest work by Rubens in the cathedral was created for entirely different reasons. It is the epitaph, or funerary monument, of Jan Moretus and his wife Martina Plantin. Their names are engraved in the stone below the painting. After the death of his father, their son Balthasar commissioned a painted epitaph from Rubens. Christ rises triumphantly from the dark tomb, surrounded by a radiant light in the centre panel. The shocked guards reel in disbelief as he emerges from the tomb. One soldier flees in panic, another stops in his tracks, while a third shields his eyes from the blinding light. On the back of the wings, which unfortunately are not visible, two graceful angels in grisaille open the gates of the kingdom of the dead.

Descent from the Cross (1611-1614) – Peter Paul Rubens

The cathedral is home to one of Antwerp’s most iconic paintings, namely the famous triptych of The Descent from the Cross, one of Rubens’s most famous works. This masterpiece was commissioned by the wealthy Kolveniersgilde, an Antwerp gunners’ guild, for its guild altar in the cathedral. Only one artist - the greatest painter in northwestern Europe - was deemed to be up to this daunting task. Originally, the Kolveniers requested that Saint Christopher, their patron saint, be depicted on the middle panel. However, the Council of Trent (1545-1563) decreed that henceforth, altarpieces could only feature Biblical figures or historical saints. Because there was no historical evidence that Saint Christopher existed and he was a legendary martyr, he was excluded. Rubens, however, found a creative way to deal with this problem. Instead of Saint Christopher, he painted three scenes in which the saint’s spiritual significance is highlighted. The name ‘Christoforos’ means ‘Christ-bearer’ in Greek. In the centre panel, Jesus’ friends take his lifeless body down from the cross. The left panel depicts the pregnant Virgin, who is carrying Jesus in her womb, while the right panel features old Simeon holding the Christ Child in his arms. They are all Christophers or Christ-bearers. And the saint himself? Rubens painted him on the back of one of the side panels.

Publiek Domein

Schilderij met de Tenhemelopneming van Maria

Hugo Maertens, Lukas Art

Assumption of the Virgin (1625-1626) – Peter Paul Rubens

The masterpiece Rubens painted for the main altar depicts the Assumption of Mary, the cathedral’s patron saint, which is celebrated annually on 15 August. In this painting, Mary is depicted after death as she is taken up to heaven and God. She gracefully moves up towards the light, assisted by enthusiastic angelic figures. In addition to this painting, Rubens also designed the high altar that framed it. Unfortunately, this altar was lost in the late 18th century during the troubles in the wake of the French Revolution. City architect Jan Blom later designed a new altar based on Rubens’s original design. This is tremendously important because the altar and the painting form an inseparable whole. The story does not end at the top of the painting; the semi-relief above it represents the Holy Trinity. God the Father and God the Son together hold the crown with which they will welcome Mary into heaven.

The Last Supper - Otto van Veen

The four 16th-century altarpieces on the columns in the nave recall a time when the cathedral was full of altars of brotherhoods, guilds and crafts. These paintings are masterpieces by important predecessors of Rubens: The Adoration of the Shepherds by Frans Floris (Collection of the KMSKA), The Wedding at Cana by Maerten de Vos, The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes by Ambrosius Francken (Collection of the KMSKA), and The Last Supper by Otto van Veen.