The fourth Rubens work in Antwerp Cathedral is much smaller but biblically speaking of a much more important event – The Resurrection of Christ. This triptych measures 138 x 98 cm with two side panels 136 x 40 cm each in 1611/12 for the tomb of the married couple Jan Moretus (1543-1610) and Martina Plantin (d. 1616) from the family of printing fame – see the nearby Museum Plantin Moretus. The Raising of the Cross (also known as The Elevation of the Cross) is the oldest and biggest painting by Rubens currently inside Antwerp Cathedral. Rubens painted this triptych measuring 460 x 340 cm with two side panels of 460 x 150 cm each in 1609-10 for the main altar of the St Walburgis Church in Antwerp. This church has since been destroyed with the Ruben altar inside the cathedral since 1816. It is currently in the north transept (left of the choir when facing forward).

The Descent from the Cross painted by Rubens in 1611-14 is usually considered artistically the most accomplished work by him in the Cathedral. It is more classical than The Elevation of the Cross and considered a paragon of the Baroque genre. Our Lady of Antwerp: A 16 th-century devotional statue of the Madonna and Child in the Mary Chapel (north aisle). This 180-cm painted walnut wood statue is the most revered image in the church. The dresses of the images change frequently. but he handled it like a pro. Swept up in the Baroque spirit that was blowing, the series mixes historic scenes and allegorical figures, realistic portraits and creative mythological figures with great artistic freedom. Rubens turned to the Greco-Roman pantheon as well as Christian references to glorify the queen. In The Education of Marie de’ Medici, for example, Minerva, the goddess of the Arts and Science, and Mercury, the messenger of the gods, help groom Marie for her future as a sovereign. Rubens had to use great skill and caution to depict the queen’s life, which was riddled with diplomatic faux pas.When Henri IV died, Marie took over the reins of the kingdom until her son, Louis XIII, was old enough to govern on his own. When little Louis finally came of age, putting an end to the Regency, Marie had a hard time letting go of power. In 1617, Louis XIII put his foot down, forcing his mother into exile. Marie ended up moving to Blois.The oak pulpit by Michiel van der Voort (1667-1737) was originally made for the St Bernard Abbey in Hemiksem but has been in the cathedral since 1804. It is said that the rich carving has more meaning than most sermons. Antwerp Cathedral has an amazing collection of wood carved items. The largest are the mid-19 th-century monumental choir stalls. However, the older works are even more impressive. He painted this triptych – measuring 421 x 311 cm with two side panels of 421 x 153 cm – for the Arquebusier Guild (civic military guard). (At the time of the guilds, Antwerp Cathedral had around 50 permanent altars.) In addition to the Rubens masterpieces, the interior of Antwerp Cathedral has many further art works on display. At the rear of the church against the northern wall is a collection of confessionals with 24 life size sculptures. These have the same heritage as the pulpit and were probably made by Michiel van der Voort and Guillielmus Ignatios Kerricx (1682-1745).

Avenida Antonio Machado, 96, 29630 Benalmadena, Malaga. Telephone 0034 952 918 449. Opening hours 10.00 to 18.30 Monday to Friday 10.00 to 14.00 Saturday 10.00 to 14.00 Sunday. Fuengirola Antwerp was past its economic peak by the early 17 th century but it still experienced an artistic golden age at the start of the Baroque, which played a major role in the Counterreformation in the city, as it did in many parts of Europe. The Assumption of the VirginThe south tower was never completed. In part, due to plans to significantly enlarge the cathedral, which would have necessitated the south tower to be moved. A start was made with this enlargement – complete with a corner stone by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V – starting again from the choir. This uncompleted new choir can be seen on older paintings and street plans including the Vergilius Bononiensis Antwerp map (1565), which is displayed in the Museum Plantin-Moretus. Even on modern street maps, the planned extension would have filled the space up to the alleys at the eastern end of the choir. Rubens money exchange also offer excursions to places such as Gibraltar, Caminito del Rey, Cordoba, Granada, Tanger, Sevilla, Ronda, Nerja, Mijas, Marbella, Puerto Banus, Jerez, and Cadiz. Rubens once said, ‘I admit that I am more naturally inclined to make large-scale works than small oddities’. The Galerie Médicis serves as proof of the artist’s extraordinary stamina: no less than 21 canvases each measuring 4 metres in height, or 300m2 of paintings, and three large portraits of the queen and her parents! Quite the feat. But the queen didn’t pay her bills on time and Rubens had a lot of trouble collecting his due. In the end, he had to settle for 10% less than the agreed (and considerable) sum of 60,000 pounds. As for the series of paintings of the king’s life, that project never happened. The turbulent life of Marie de’ Medici

Mother and son would not patch things up until 1621. Beyond the artistic value of these paintings, the commission was an opportunity for Marie to tell her side of the story. Thanks to the artistry of Rubens, the queen mother staged an idealised image of her life and political decisions. But the artist also had to be careful not to offend the king of France. Not an easy task… A Baroque whirlwind

Visiting Antwerp Cathedral in Belgium

However, a major fire in 1533 diverted resources toward repairing rather than extending the church. After that, Antwerp had lost its position as the largest and richest city in Europe north of the Alps. Despite Antwerp’s golden cultural age that lasted well into the 17 th century, financial resources of the scale needed to build a super-sized church would never again be available. The Assumption of the Virgin: a huge circular paintings – 580 cm diameter – by Cornelis Schut (1597-1655) hanging 43 m high in the crossing tower. It shows Mary ascending into heaven in such a way that the crossing tower seems to extend into infinity.