{"id":48723,"date":"2021-08-01T13:36:09","date_gmt":"2021-08-01T11:36:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/topa.be\/st-andries\/beschrijving\/sak-holy-cross-altar-and-monument\/"},"modified":"2021-10-14T17:50:42","modified_gmt":"2021-10-14T15:50:42","slug":"heilig-kruisaltaar","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/topa.be\/en\/st-andries\/beschrijving\/heilig-kruisaltaar\/","title":{"rendered":"SAK Holy Cross Altar and Monument"},"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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The Holy Cross Altar and the Holy Cross Monument<\/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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The Holy Cross Altar<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u2018Holy Cross\u2019 refers to the cross on which Jesus died. True to medieval symbolism this devotion to Jesus\u2019s sacrifice of love is situated at the sunny southern side of the church. Since Catholic worship was restored in 1585 the wooden Holy Cross altar has been in the southern aisle, but not always against the same pillar. In 1603 it was given the representation of Calvary<\/em> by Frans I Francken.<\/p>\n

In 1663, immediately after the transepts had been accomplished, the altar received a new position against the south-western crossing pillar. For the brotherhood this was the occasion to replace it by the Baroque portico altar by Cornelis van Mildert (1664-1665). Of the altarpiece only the central panel was preserved, with some smaller adaptations.<\/p>\n

In the centre of the painting Jesus is hanging, nailed to the cross. His head is bent to the right: for He is already dead. His ashen body contrasts with the dark red sky, illustrating Biblical \u201cdarkness\u201d. Above Him is the trilingual explanatory caption, each version being limited to four initials. His mother Mary and John the apostle are the only ones who stand by him in these last moments by standing by Him (iconographically on the right). In the foreground Mary Magdalen embraces the cross. On Jesus\u2019s left and right are the crucified murderers. Their hands are tied with ropes, only their feet have been nailed. The repentant, also called \u2018good\u2019, murderer, (iconographically) right of Jesus, looks at Him longingly. To the \u2018bad murderer\u2019, on His left and looking away, are shown the two tablets of the (Jewish) law: an allusion to the Christian custom of showing the crucifix to the condemned. The soldiers who are dicing for Jesus\u2019s clothes have real character heads\u00a0 with true villain\u2019s faces. Two bohemian types look on: a disabled one with a stick and holding a cute dog on his lap; the other one has a strikingly red nose, which might be explained by the small barrel in the bottom right corner\u2026 In the bottom left corner there is a wicker basket with tools for the crucifixion. The skull and the separate jawbone at the foot of the cross do not only refer to the name of the place of the execution: Golgotha or Place of a Skull. In the first place the so-called Adam\u2019s skull indicates the extent of the event: by His sacrifice of love until His death on the cross Jesus has liberated all mankind from the power of evil, or the original sin.<\/p>\n

This Calvary was spread by a print containing a devotional poem and a woodcut after the painting, by Christoffel Jegher (1637), who was also a parishioner of Saint Andrew\u2019s. In January 1886 this scene, and more specifically the red colours of the sunglow, was admired by apprentice painter Vincent van Gogh.<\/p>\n

This side altar in the form of a portico is exceptionally high Baroque, even for Antwerp, and many an interior painter has been attracted by this picturesque corner. The two inner pillars are heavy twisted specimens. Even more Baroque are the outer pillars in the form of caryatid sculptures. The hyper realistic wicker flower basket they are holding on their heads with their hands is a successful sculptural form of a functional capital. These flower girls, turning somewhat to the outside, give this altar a vivid and festive character.<\/p>\n

Because also the brotherhood of Holy Trinity used this altar, on top of the altarpiece the tympanum was added with a representation of Holy Trinity in 1707. Later the membership list of this brotherhood was hung at the back of this pillar and in 1966 the last stained glass window in the southern aisle was devoted to the Triune God.<\/p>\n

The altar rails were made by Jan and Jan Antoon Van den Cruyce (1671-1672). White panels in which the tools of the passion have been incorporated very decoratively contrast with the black marble of the constructive frame.<\/p>\n