{"id":38173,"date":"2021-05-29T15:35:42","date_gmt":"2021-05-29T13:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/topa.be\/olv-kathedraal\/beschrijving\/hoofdaltaar\/"},"modified":"2021-07-19T13:12:51","modified_gmt":"2021-07-19T11:12:51","slug":"hoofdaltaar","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/topa.be\/en\/olv-kathedraal\/beschrijving\/hoofdaltaar\/","title":{"rendered":"OLV The high altar"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The Our Lady\u2019s Cathedral of Antwerp, a revelation.<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The high altar<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Antwerp cathedral - The high altar (WS)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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City architect Jan Blom constructed the impressive Neo-classicist high altar in 1822-1824. For this he could make use of the red veined pillars and the white marble predella coming from the late Baroque high altar of the demolished Saint Walburga\u2019s Church from 1734-1737. The famous sculptor, Willem Ignatius Kerricx, was also one of the church wardens of this church.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Antwerp cathedral – The high altar – Predella (MD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The theme of the predella,\u00a0The Raising of the Bronze Snake<\/em>, had been chosen in harmony with the altar piece above:\u00a0The Raising of Jesus\u2019s Cross<\/em>\u00a0(by Rubens). In the desert the sinful Jewish people were punished with a plague of lethal poisonous serpents. With his staff Moses indicates the bronze snake that must be looked up at in order to stay alive (Num. 21:4-9): a prefiguration of Christ, raised on the cross, to whom entire mankind can look up to find salvation. Those who, as the priest did in former times, look at the victims in close up, will not remained unmoved: as if they were\u00a0 film stills, you can see deadly agony and despair expressed in marble. When observing the full scene one notices how stretched out arms and longing looks succeed in transforming the dry story into a bustling scene filled with panic. The severe look of Moses pointing out the direction is impressive: the deeply chiselled features create sharp shadows, which enforce his leading and calming role. The cathedral also possesses the two marble medallions,\u00a0Saint Walburga<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Saint Eligius<\/em>, which decorated Kerricx\u2019s altar in Saint Walburga\u2019s Church (cp. The exterior wings of\u00a0The Raising of the Cross<\/em>).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Antwerp cathedral – The high altar (backside) – Dormition of Mary (UA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The large canvas by Abraham Matthijssens (1633) on the reverse of the high altar shows the moment that precedes\u00a0Mary\u2019s Assumption<\/em>\u00a0on the front: Mary\u2019s deathbed, surrounded by the apostles and the three legendary women who will lay her out.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Antwerp cathedral - The high altar (backside) - grisaille by M. Van Bree (WS)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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On the Classicist frieze by Mathias van Bree (1823) underneath, three grisaille paintings show scenes from the life of Mother Mary before giving birth to Jesus:\u00a0The Annunciation, Her Wedding with Joseph<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Her Visit to Elizabeth<\/em>. The extremely successful trompe l\u2019oeil has offered the illusion of low-relief to many a visitor!<\/p>\n

Underneath we can admire some of those wonderful examples of Flemish Baroque sculpture: three white marble reliefs coming from the coopers\u2019 altar.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOur Lady's Assumption (Peter Paul Rubens)<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe collegiate church with the choir<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Bird's eye view on Antwerp, woodcut by Virgilius Bononiensis, 1565 - detail with the cathedral<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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