ANTWERP
January 2020
Another gorgeous city in the Lowlands.
Compared to Brussels and Bruges, the Old Town Square [Grote Markt] of Antwerp is much smaller and even though we call it a square it actually is more like a triangle.
It is flanked by spectacular structures including the city hall. Below is a general view which includes the Stadhuis (City Hall - under construction) [left], the guild houses [center] and the famous Brabo Fountain [right].
The center building [above] was the archers guild house with the statue of St George on top. The Brabo fountain depicts a soldier hero throwing the hand of a giant into the river Scheldt [below]
In the limited time we had we made sure that we visit Rubens' House (Rubenshuis). This very famous Antwerpian lived in town and was quite wealthy for his time.
Here is his house, the art in it and the gardens around it.
The house
Art by Rubens
The Holy Family with a Parrot
And Stephan enjoying the intricacies of this masterpiece
In the picture below both paintings are by Rubens: The Annunciation [top] and Adam & Eve [bottom]
Art by others
Jan Boekerhorst - Farmers going to Market, Antoon van Dyck - Self Portrait and a Portrait of Marguerite de Lorraine
Jacob Jordeans - Moses and his Ethiopian Wife
The Gardens
The Cathedral of Our Lady (Dutch: Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal)
The largest Gothic cathedral in Belgium, its building started in the 14th century and took almost 200 years to finish it. Above all things, it is famous as it holds four of Rubens' masterpieces. All my rules of not taking pictures in a church were shelved as Rubens made it feel more like a museum than a church. Here they are below:
Assumption of the Virgin
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Raising of the Cross
Descent from the Cross
Resurrection of Christ
Statue of Nello & Petrasche on Handshoenmarkt
Some more fine architecture on Leysstraat
..and last but not least here are the statues of Antwerp's famous sons, Antoon van Dyck & Peter Paul Rubens, and a selfie by Asli & Stephan