{"id":48692,"date":"2021-07-31T19:20:19","date_gmt":"2021-07-31T17:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/topa.be\/st-andries\/beschrijving\/sak-choir-and-chancel\/"},"modified":"2021-08-02T18:28:22","modified_gmt":"2021-08-02T16:28:22","slug":"hoogkoor","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/topa.be\/en\/st-andries\/beschrijving\/hoogkoor\/","title":{"rendered":"SAK Choir and chancel"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Antwerp's St Andrew's Church, a revelation.<\/h2>\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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Choir and Chancel<\/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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Stained glass windows: Faith, Hope and Charity\/Love<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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There is more consistency in the three stained glass windows of the chancel (by Jan Huet, 1964-1965) than is evident at first sight. Two personifications can be found high up: Faith (with cross) on the north side, Hope (with anchor) on the south side. The central apse window has been walled in. Where, then, might one find the principal one of the three theological virtues? Love resides closest to the altar and to the ground floor in the big stained glass window on the south side, above the corridor leading to the sacristy. Here, the glazier tells Jesus\u2019 parable The Good Samaritan <\/em>(Lk 10:29-37) in many hues and colours. Both Levite and priest seek to avoid the wounded man \u2013 although he is a compatriot of theirs \u2013 and turn around inquisitively. They see how a third passer-by, a Samaritan in fact, cares for the victim and supports him on the way to the inn. What a wonderful illustration of Charity\/Love!<\/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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Baptismal font<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The current baptismal font is the holy water font of a former monastery church, probably of the Calced Carmelites (also known as the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel) situated in Meir. Since its arrival at the church of St Andrew\u2019s in 1806, the font had been in the back of the baptismal chapel, at the south side. Among those who were baptised here, we may recognize several Belgian authors: Hendrik Conscience (baptised in 1812), the man \u2018who taught his people to read\u2019 because he was the first to write really popular books in Flemish, and the novelist Lode Zielens (baptised in 1901). During the 1880\u2019s , baptism was administered to more than a thousand new-borns on average per year, equalling around 2.5% of the population! Since the church\u2019s restoration in 1970-1975, the font has been in the choir; this move echoes the teachings of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which focused on the community receiving the newly-baptised.<\/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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The adoration of the Magi <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"\"<\/a>
The Adoration of the Magi, Hendrick van Balen<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

This painting is attributed to Hendrick van Balen (1573-1632), a contemporary of Rubens. Note the painter\u2019s realism in depicting baby Jesus\u2019s wish to play with everything that glitters, such as the bald head of the oldest king, who enters first and kneels down. The falconer on the far left illustrates the century-old royal privilege of falconry, as applied to these \u2018three kings\u2019. In line with Baroque tradition, the falconer leans against the frame and looks at the viewer \u2013 as does one of the page boys \u2013 thus engaging the audience in the scene. The colours of Mary\u2019s dress have a symbolical significance: the red represents her as a woman of flesh and blood, the blue (green, rather, due to the varnish) as one chosen by divine grace.<\/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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The guardian angel<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Guardian Angel \u2013 copper engraving, drawn by Van Looijbos after the painting by Erasmus II Quellinus, 1667<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

This canvas with rounded upper corners was painted by Erasmus Quellinus II (1667) and adorned the portico altar of the Brotherhood of the Holy Guardian Angels. The chapel was situated in the southern transept, which the churchwardens had demolished in 1830. A design sketch is kept in Dresden. A scared youth is seen crouching in the painting\u2019s centre, caught in a moral dilemma. On one side, the boy\u2019s virtue is being challenged by wicked, many-faced Evil, \u00a0which is depicted as a demon with the wings of a bat, and is about to throw a snake onto his victim. A pleasant woman dressed in red and with one naked shoulder represents the erotic figure of Lust (Luxuria), grabbing the boy\u2019s arm; she is supported by winged Amor, who is ready to shoot his arrow. Dressed elegantly in silvery blue, Lady Fortune is sitting on a treasure chest in the foreground. She embodies three temptations in one: pointing her sceptre at the riches in two bags of gold coins at her side, she further seduces the boy to accept fame \u2013 represented by the laurel wreath \u2013and power \u2013 a golden royal crown. This particularly seductive trio sought to tempt Jesus in the desert too, and did so in vain (Matt 4:1-11).<\/p>\n

On the other side, iconographically to the right, a \u2018guardian\u2019 angel armed with lightning fire approaches to protect the boy against these enemies of his soul\u2019s salvation. The angel acts for God, whose identity is represented by the tetragram on the shield. Clearly, the angel is aware of God\u2019s strengthening grace \u2013 note the beam of heavenly light falling on the angel\u2019s shield.<\/p>\n

With great effort, we may recognize the gaping monster at the bottom left depicting the entrance to hell, which is where the devil\u2019s temptations seek to lead the boy. But this cunning offensive by the worldly vices will fail due to heavenly assistance, alias the guardian angel. This scene was rendered as an engraving and published in limited edition as a memorial picture for two distinguished brotherhood members.<\/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\tThe current high altar: not a mere table<\/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 choir stalls and the 36 saints<\/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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