St Quentin’s Church
Jan Willems
As far as the humanist Justus Lipsius was concerned St Quentin’s Church was the most beautiful in Leuven. If its late Gothic splendour fails to enchant you, The Last Supper by Jan Willems will no doubt captivate you!
St Quentin’s Church
It is said that the Count of Leuven, Lambert with the Beard, built a chapel dedicated to Quintinus in 1015 following his visit to Saint-Quentin in France, where relics of this early Christian martyr are kept. Although some sources claim that a chapel did exist in 1099, the first reliable mention of the church dates back to 1222. Nowadays St Quentin’s Church can be recognised by its Gothic appearance: its light-filled chancel and slender silhouette with aerial arches. In his work Lovanium, the humanist Justus Lipsius described the church as the most beautiful in the city. It served as a parish church and pilgrimage site for Saint Quintinus. Prominent families such as ‘t Sestich and van Blehem were parishioners of Saint Quentin’s and over the years they enhanced the interior of the church with numerous works of art, including the enigmatic painting The Last Supper by Jan Willems, a long forgotten Renaissance master.
The Last Supper, Jan Willems
Jan Willems, city painter of Leuven between 1527 and 1548, along with Jan Rombouts and Jan van der Coutheren, introduced Renaissance aesthetics to the city. His only surviving work is The Last Supper. He may have been commissioned to paint it by Adriaan van Blehem, a parishioner and benefactor of St Quentin's Church, and later mayor of Leuven. The painting depicts two scenes from the New Testament: Judas’ betrayal and the Last Supper. Willems was inspired by the Master of 1518, an unnamed Antwerp mannerist. In addition to the consecration of bread and wine, the painter emphasizes the betrayal by Judas and the inattention of the other apostles. It acts as a warning to believers.
Practical information
Masters of Imagination: out and about in Leuven
