The main Altar...(Saint-James Church Part III of VI)
I love churches, I don’t know why, but when I see a church or a cathedral I can’t resist to enter and take pictures. I suppose it has something to do with the weight of history you feel in there. I love to contemplate the art-works, the graves, the architecture… and in the case of Catholic churches here in Northern Europe I love to think about how people were impressed and fearful for the power of that Catholicism… and how that power declined to almost nothing anymore today…
The city of Antwerpen has 5 so-called monumental churches (including the Cathedral), and from those 5 Saint-James (or Sint Jacob in Dutch) is by far my favourite. It is a late-gothic church with a wonderful baroque interior. Besides a large art collection from Jordaens, Rubens, Van Balen… it also counts no less than 23 altars that you can find in separate chapels that belonged to a number of crafts and corporations like turf bearers, silk treaters or musicians…
But as this post is also about photography here is the first picture where you can see the main altar (for the common people, you and me 😉) and the different chapels on the left and right side. As you can see, the altar is somewhat in the middle of the church… this means there is a lot to see behind it… but you will have to wait till tomorrow to discover it 😂
It’s obvious why you can find paintings from the famous painter Peter Paul Rubens in Saint-James, it was after all his parish church and he lived and worked only about 300m away in his now opened to public Rubens' house. But you can discover even more than his paintings… his grave chapel is also in Saint-james.
I asked if it was possible to already reserve a spot for me but they told me they don’t have chapels for non-famous photographers… 😉
Stay tuned to see the next pictures in this series...
Please, don't forget to resteem if you like this photo adventure... I'm sure others will like it too!
You missed the start the Saint-James adventure?
No stress... just click on the following thumbnails to see the previous pictures in this series...
Some other series of pictures I shot in Antwerpen...
Want to discover the Central Station in Antwerp? Just click on the thumbnail…
I also made a whole series of shots of a bicycle tunnel located in Antwerp in urbex-style. If you are curious to see them just click on the thumbnail to see the original post...
Curious to see my other work?
Happy to hear that 😊
The best thing you can do is checking out my profile here on steemit ( @pixelfan ) and follow me. I’m always happy to connect with other photographers! (And of course I’m always very happy with a little upvote… although a large one is also allowed 😉)
But of course you can find me on other social media too... just check out:
- 500px - pixelfanfoto
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I have no idea why I haven't seen you those last 2 months I'm on Steemit, and why I wasn't following you already... This particular post I saw it in my feed from a resteem, opened it because I love churches as well, and then checked the rest and your description (I love it that you are Nikon too...) so the follow was clearly was inevitable. I hope to see more and also I have to catch up with your older posts...so don't be surprised if you see 20 comments or something at once haha! About the upvotes, my power is really down so I might not upvote eeeeverything (even though I'm sure I'll want to....!) but I did upvote this one! Congrats! :D
Maybe it's because I'm here for only 1 month 😂
Really happy you liked it. I always try to post more than the picture alone but am often dissapointed most people don't read...
And I know everything about voting power... more precisely, the lack of it... but I give you my whole cent for this nice comment 😉
Ahahaha thank you! You didn't have to! Keep your cents please, for when they become dollars :D :D :D I always try to read - even though I'm a photographer first, I'm also a writer, so I totally understand the effort, and sometimes the meaning and the sense of seeing the picture and also reading the text next to it ;)
Just gave my cents some water so... with a bit of luck they will be dollars soon 😉
Amazing photography i like you post and
Upvoted your post.If possible please upvote and resteem my post friend
I'm a lover of gothic architecture and art, but usually, photos of gothic architecture are rather gray, no wonder because most of the churches in the gothic style were build whit gray stone. But in this picture, I like the contrast betwine the big and bold gray pillars and the soft colors inside the church by the main altar. And the red carpet doesn't spoil this contrast.
You are right, most churches are dark places. But a couple of the monumental ones in Antwerp are very light... and rich. Antwerp was (and is still a bit) a prosperous city thanks to our harbor. A lot of really wealthy "sponsors" paid for the building of these churches... In this one I even think there is almost more white marble than usual stone... and that translates in the light...
It also always is a good idea to go on a shiny day... The light of the sun trough the windows gives wonderful effects...
And another test for @originalworks
Light in such spaces can be very complicated, but you made photos in an exemplary manner @pixelfan. And thank you for that photo of a beautiful work of Peter Paul Rubens. Upvoted, resteemed & DPS.
Think I should start to reply on comments starting from the oldest... Already saw your today's edition 😄 But thanks again, I really appreciate it!
WOW so ornate and spectacular and captured superbly
Thanks Jay, and you ain’t seen nothing yet. You know I always try to build up 😉
Ohh yes I know more is coming :)
Wow! Fantastic shots. And what a stunningly beautiful church.
@svamiva @photo-trail @meanmommy33 @bragih @robjc @steeminator3000 @zeeshankhan
I’m so happy I’m not the only one to love churches! Thank you all very much for the most appreciated votes! 👍
Oh, and @photo-trail, it’s not only a painting from Rubens, it’s also his grave… he is resting there since 1640…
Love the cathedrals too. Rubens was said to start his day by attending the early morning mass, everyday. Thus he was almost a fixture in this cathedral. After that painting all day in his studio when he wasn't on some political mission. Nice photo as usual.
Thanks... When you see how much children he had... you can say he was not only interested in being in the church 😉
You have a count of his children? I read that he married the 16 year old daughter of his friend at the age of 60 after the death of his wife. He did do some sensuous portraits of his young wife. He was very accomplished in many aspects of his life; and not only prolific in his paintings then.
I believe he had 7 children... and he did indeed married his 16 years old...niece...
This post received a 3.1% upvote from @randowhale thanks to @pixelfan! For more information, click here!