St Michael’s Church

St Michael’s Church has a long and extraordinary construction history of more than 200 years, which started in 1440. The Gothic church exhibits a remarkable unity of style, which is also reflected in the interior. It is a haven of peace within the city centre of Ghent.

In this canvas, a Flemish masterpiece, Anthony van Dyck combines a very simple composition with deep emotions: the suffering of Christ, the sorrow of Mary, John and Mary Magdalene, the cruelty of the soldiers. The contrast between the dramatic, dark cloud cover, the deathly pale Christ and the colourful bystanders heightens the emotional impact. This was the most expensive of the many altarpieces that van Dyck painted between 1627 and 1632.