Peter Paul Rubens and the Antwerp Jesuit Church (now the Church ...

Peter Paul Rubens and the Antwerp Jesuit Church (now the Church of St. Charles Borromeus)
tine meganck
In 1615, the Antwerp Jesuits began construction on a new
church. The beauty of this ‘temple’ was meant to demonstrate
the power of the Catholic order to the Protestant
rebels. Together with Franciscus Aguilonius (cat. 76) and
Peter Huyssens, the successive rectors who also acted as the
project’s architects, Rubens designed a unique synthesis of
architecture, painting and sculpture. What his precise share
in the architectural design actually was requires further
investigation. 1 What is certain is that he made preparatory
drawings for the sculptural decoration of the façade (cat. 81),
the main altar (cat. 78) and the ceiling of the Lady Chapel. 2
In 1617-1618, he also painted the interchangeable altarpieces
depicting the Miracles of St. Francis Xavier and the Miracles of St.
Ignatius of Loyola (Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum), the
two founders of the Jesuit order who would only be sanctifi
ed in 1622. 3 By this time, Rubens had probably already been
asked to design the ceiling paintings (cat 75). The contract for
the fi nal commission of thirty-nine canvases for the ceiling
of the side aisles and tribunes was drawn up on March 29,
1620. In consultation with superior Jacobus Tirinus, it was
agreed that Rubens would paint the preparatory sketches
himself and the fi nal versions would be executed by Anthony
van Dyck and other assistants but retouched by the master.
For the entire project, Rubens was to receive 7,000 guilders. 4
The contract further stipulated that he could either surrender
the sketches to the superior, or paint an additional side
altar. That Rubens chose to keep the sketches illustrates just
how much value he attached to these inventions, which he
1
could later incorporate into other compositions (cat. 49).
The fi nished ceiling paintings were delivered one year later
as agreed. When the church was consecrated on September
12, 1621, they were already in place. In the meantime, the
expenses incurred in the construction of this imposing
building had gotten so out of hand that the general of the
Jesuits in Rome was forced to dismiss Tirinus in 1625. 5 The
total work of art created by Rubens, Aguilonius and Huyssens,
however, remained unsurpassed. In 1718, large parts of the
Jesuit Church were destroyed by fi re, including the ceiling
paintings. Rubens’ sketches (cat. 75) and a number of visual
records by early observers like Wilhelm Schubert von
Ehrenberg (cat. 80) are all that remains of one of his most
impressive series.
1 Baudouin 2005 [1] .
2 Cat. exh. Antwerpen 1956 [2] , no. 69-70.
3 Vlieghe, crlb 1972-1973, vii, ii, no. 104; Göttler 1999.
4 Martin, crlb 1968, i, Appendix I.
5 Ibid., p. 27 et sq., p. 44 et sq.
fig. 1: Detail from cat. 80
215

216
cat. 75
75 The Archangel St. Michael Defeating the Rebel Angels
Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)
Oil on panel, 46.8/47.2 ◊ 52.4/53 cm
Brussels, rmfab, inv. 7444
prov. : See Martin, crlb 1968, i, no. 1a; bequest of Mrs. Jacques Willems-Danhieux, 1967.
exh. : See Martin, crlb 1968, i, no. 1a; Caen 2003, no. 70; Lille 2004, no. 141.
bibl. : Martin, crlb 1968, i, no.1a; Held 1980, i, no. 5; Jaffé 1989, no. 553; Laneyrie-Dagen 2003,
p. 182; Ilgen 2004, p. 193; Knaap 2004, p. 180-184.

cat. 76
76
The Coronation of the Virgin
Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)
Oil on panel, 17.8 ◊ 28.6 cm
Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, inv. 2416
prov. : See Martin, crlb 1968, i, no. 18b; collection of Edith Greindl, Brussels;
with the art dealer Jacques O. Leegenhoek, Paris, 1955; with Alfred Brod, London, 1956;
given to the museum by the Bank voor Handel en Scheepvaart, 1956.
exh. : Rotterdam/Braunschweig 1983-1984, no. 6.
bibl. : Martin, crlb 1968, i, no. 18b; D’Hulst 1968, no. 12; Vlieghe 1977 [2] , p. 342; Held 1980,
i, no. 24; Jaffé 1989, no. 596; De Poorter/Jansen/Giltaij 1990, no. 22.
217

218
Rubens made these two sketches in preparation for the ceiling of the Antwerp Jesuit Church.
As stipulated in his contract, Rubens designed a series of Old and New Testament scenes to
decorate the ceilings of the tribunes in alternation, as well as a series depicting episodes from
the lives of the saints for the side aisles. The painting of the interior by Ehrenberg shows that
the ceilings of the tribunes were oriented toward the west (cat. 80). The visitor saw the biblical
scenes in reverse chronological order, beginning at the entrance to the church: from the
Coronation of the Virgin (cat. 77) at the front of the north aisle to The Archangel St. Michael defeating
the Rebel Angels (cat. 75) at the rear of the south aisle. The Archangel St. Michael Defeating the
Rebel Angels (Revelations 12:7-9) occupies a key position in the series, as it is the fi rst moment
in the eternal battle between Good and Evil. It incarnates the Ecclesia Triumphans, the victorious
Catholic church defeating the heretics (see also cat. 23). Rubens emphasizes this central
meaning by making spatial and compositional links between the ceiling paintings on different
levels. 1 In the aisle below St. Michael, St. Athanasius defeats the heretic Arius. 2 These scenes
also anticipate the miraculous expulsion of demons and conversion of heathens and heretics
by St. Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier, which Rubens depicted for the main altarpiece.
Rubens’ oil sketches served as presentation pieces for the patron and models for his studio
assistants, who were responsible for executing the large-scale versions. For the ceiling paintings
of the Jesuit church, surprisingly few preparatory drawings have survived, but the preparatory
bozzetti have been preserved for a number of scenes. 3 In the grisaille bozetto for the
Coronation of the Virgin (cat. 77), Rubens sketched the masterly de sotto in su with only a few
lines, which he subsequently worked out in a colorful modello (Paris, Musée du Louvre). 4 He
may have been revising an earlier presentation sketch (London, Courtauld Institute of Art,
Princes Gate Collection) with much weaker perspectival foreshortening. 5 When construction
on the new building was started, it was dedicated to the Virgin and the Blessed Ignatius
(he had not yet been canonized). This explains not only why the Coronation (in Madrid) opens
the series, but perhaps also why this was one of the fi rst sketches Rubens produced. The dramatic
perspectival foreshortening also characterizes the modello depicting the archangel St.
Michael, who seems to dive directly from heaven into the physical space of the viewer. The
colored modelli for this series feature dynamic, sculptural fi gures and drapery, brought to life
with powerful brushstrokes. The fi nished versions of these works of art, which would have
measured approximately 300 ◊ 420 cm and were set into wooden compartments according to
the Italian model, must have made a lasting impression.
tm
1 Knaap 2004.
2 Martin, crlb 1968, i, p. 203.
3 Ibid., p. 36
4 Ibid., no. 18c.
5 Cat. exh. London 1988-1989, p. 2.

cat. 77
fig. 1: peter paul rubens, Esther and Ahasuerus,
Vienna, Gemäldegalerie der Akademie der
bildenden Künste
77
Vignette for F. Aguilonius, Opticorum libri sex, iii, Antwerp, 1613
Theodoor Galle (1571-1633) after a design by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)
Engraving, 100 ◊ 145 mm
Brussels, rlb, Preciosa, V.B., 5058 C
bibl. : Judson/Van de Velde, crlb 1978, xxi, i, no. 13; Held 1979 [1] ;
Held 1979 [2] ; Van de Vyver 1980; Ziggelaar 1983.
Franciscus Aguilonius (1567-1617), rector of the Antwerp Jesuit Church from
1614 to 1617, was also a great mathematician. In 1611, he established a school of
mathematics in the Jesuit college that would prove to be a beacon of innovative
research for decades. In 1613, the Plantin press published his renowned
Optica, a reference work on the theory and science of direct vision. Among
other things, Aguilonius discusses the functioning of the eye, color, optical
rays, opacity and darkness, optical illusions, light and shadow, and projections.
Rubens designed the title page and the introductory vignettes for the
six books. In his introduction to book iii, ‘On the recognition of common
objects’ (De Communium Obiectorum Cognitione), Aguilonius refers to a children’s
game which consists of guessing the distance of a given object with
one eye closed. In Rubens’ vignette, three putti and an aged scholar learn
from experience that it is impossible to measure the distance to a raised staff
with one eye closed, a real lesson in the workings of binocular vision. Given
the artistic importance of some of the experiments, it is not certain whether
Rubens communicated his observations to Aguilonius, or whether he owed
particular insights to Aguilonius – or both. It has been suggested that there is
a connection between Rubens’ painting technique and Aguilonius’ color theory
– namely, his proposal of blue-yellow-red as the triad of primary colors. 1
Perhaps Rubens’ fi rst presentation sketch depicting the Coronation of the Virgin
(London, The Courtauld Institute of Art, Princes Gate Collection), in which
the same three colors dominate, is a kind of homage to his fi rst patron (cat.
47). And perhaps Rubens’ Esther and Ahasuerus (oil sketch, Vienna, Akademie,
fi g. 1), another early sketch which prefi gures the Coronation of the Virgin, refers
to Aguilonius’ study of optical illusion. 2 The position of Ahasuerus, with his
right hand extended and his left arm resting on a sphinx, echoes the position
of the old scholar in the vignette of book iii. Here, moreover, Rubens has constructed
a dramatic de sotto in su composition, which he would later recast from
an even more acute angle in another version (London, The Courtauld Institute
of Art, Princes Gate Collection ), a real tour de force of optical illusionism. 3
Perhaps there is also a connection between the twelve-sided painted frame of
the Vienna sketch and the rejected centralized plan for Aguilonius’ church. 4
tm
1 Aguilonius 1613, i, Propositio 39; Parkhurst 1961; Jaffé 1971;
Parkhurst 1972; Held 1979 [1] ; Kemp 1990, p. 274-278.
2 Martin, crlb 1968, i, no. 17a.
3 Ibid., i, no. 17b.
4 Snaet 2000, p. 56, ill. 32.
219

220
cat. 78
78 Altar Decoration with Virgin and Child Enthroned
Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)
Oil on panel, 46.3 ◊ 64.1 cm
Antwerp, Rubenshuis, inv. RH-S 194
prov. : The Hague, A. de Groot, 1748; Vanderstraelen-Moons-Van Lerius sale, Antwerp, 19 February 1885,
no. 38; J.-B. Foucart, sold in Valenciennes 12-14 October 1898, no. 93; Berlin, Dr. A. Jaffé; London,
with the art dealer W. E. Duits; London, Christie’s, 12 December 1984, purchased by the museum
exh. : Antwerpen 1977, no. 56; Lille 2004, no. 139.
bibl. : Goris/Held 1947, p. 34, sub no. 56; Alaya Mallory 1967, p. 2-13; Baudouin 1968, i, p. 314-315;
Martin 1972, p. 85-88; Held 1980, i, no. 395; Jaffé 1989, no. 924.

Pen and brown ink over black chalk,
brownish-gray wash, 196 ◊ 89 mm
(unevenly cut out and mounted on
a larger sheet)
Below, in Rubens’ hand,
is written voeten and hooch
Berlin, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin,
Kupferstichkabinett, KdZ 5685
prov. : Antwerp, archives of the
church of Carolus Borromeus,
date of purchase unknown.
exh. : Antwerpen 1977, no. 149.
bibl. : Glück-Haberditzl 1928, no.
132; Bock/Rosenberg 1931, i, p. 250;
Burchard-d’Hulst 1963, sub no. 116;
Baudouin 1968, i, p. 314, note 60;
Bernhard 1977, p. 322; Mielke/Winner
1977, no. 25; cat. exh. Wien 1977 [2] , p. 80.
79 Angel with a Torch
Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)
cat. 79
221

222
Oil on canvas, 118.5 ◊ 145 cm
Signature and date on a confessional
at the right: W.S. von/Ehrenberg fec/1667
Brussels, rmfab, inv. 3603
prov. : Donated by Mr. Charles-Léon
Cardon, Brussels, 1901, in memory
of Miss Euphrosine Beernaert.
exh. : Antwerpen 1956 [1] , no. 328;
Tokyo-Sapporo 1982, no. 10; Brussels
1985, ii, no. C82; Tokyo/Nagasaki/
Osaka 2006-2007, no. 29.
bibl. : Martin, crlb 1968, i, fi g. 2;
Baudouin 1981 [2] , p. 11; Baudouin 2000,
p. 2 and fi g. 5; Janssens 2006, ii, p. 166.
80 Interior of the St. Carolus Borromeus Church in Antwerp
Wilhelm Schubert von Ehrenberg (1630 or 1637-ca.1676)
cat. 80
The design of the main altar of the Antwerp Jesuit Church was created in several stages. 1 Rubens had
in mind a dynamic exchange between the altar and the altarpieces, which were displayed in alternation
according to the liturgical calendar. The oil sketch in Antwerp (cat. 78) shows the top of the
altar, which consists of a niche in which the Virgin and Child sit enthroned, fl anked by two angels
acting as caryatids and two kneeling angels with palm branches and laurel wreaths, symbols of martyrdom
and victory. They crown the painted saints on the altarpieces below. A comparison with the
fi nished altar preserved in situ, which was precisely rendered by Wilhelm Schubert von Ehrenberg
(cat. 80), reveals that Rubens later made a number of adjustments to his design. The angels with palm
branches and laurel wreaths rest on the fl attened volutes in the oil sketch, while in the fi nished piece
they kneel directly on the cornice. The caryatids have been replaced by simple cherub heads on the
sides of the pilasters. In the fi nished altar, two additional angels stand on either side behind the segmented
arches. Perhaps a fi nal version crowned by four angels was planned by Rubens: at any rate,
the angel on the left with a torch goes back to one of his own early sketches (cat. 79). It is also possible
that Hans van Mildert (ca. 1585-1638), the sculptor who executed Rubens’ design, reused the Angel
with a Torch in his own work. The pediment of the Berlin sheet on which Rubens’ original design was
mounted is by another hand. In the oil sketch, Rubens has depicted an altarpiece that is rounded off
above, while the fi nal versions are rectangular. This suggests that Rubens made the sketch shortly
before 1617. Around that time, he sketched the modelli for the altarpieces depicting the Miracles of
St. Ignatius of Loyola and the Miracles of St. Francis Xavier, which are also rectangular. 2
tm
1 Another project is preserved in the Albertina, Vienna, inv. 8247 (Lille 2004, no. 138).
2 Baudouin 1972, p. 88.

Black chalk, highlights in white,
some lines accentuated with pen and
black ink on paper, enlargement grid
in black chalk, 251 ◊ 273 mm
New York, The Pierpont Morgan
Library, Gift of the Fellows with the
special assistance of Mr. Walter C.
Baker and Mr. and Mrs. Carl Stern.
Acc. No. 1957.I
prov. : Jonathan Richardson,
Sr. (L. 2184, 2983-2984); H.S. Reitlinger;
sale of his collection, Sotheby’s, 23 July
1954, no. 781, to Asscher; purchased
by the Morgan Library from Martin B.
Asscher, London.
exh. : Newark 1960, no. 33b;
Martin 1972, no. 15; New York 1974,
no. 41; London 1977, no. 140; Paris/
Antwerpen/London/New York
1979–1980, no. 16.
bibl. : Held 1959, i, no. 145; Burchard/
D’Hulst 1963, i, sub no. 116; Martin,
crlb 1968, i, p. 28-29; Baudouin 1972 [2] ,
p. 104, fi g. 60; Stampfl e 1974, no. 41;
for the complete bibliography, see
the catalogue of Stampfl e/Kraemer/
Turner 1991, no. 309.
81
Angel Blowing a Trumpet, Facing Left
Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)
cat. 81
This drawing for a relief sculpture in the tympanum of the central entrance of the Antwerp Jesuit
Church is one of the few preparatory drawings by Rubens for this painterly façade. Together with an
Angel Blowing a Trumpet, Facing Right (also in New York, Pierpont Morgan Library), it forms a grandiose
arch that recalls antique triumphal arches, which were frequently decorated with winged victories.
1 On the façade of the Jesuit church, the trumpeting angels not only symbolize victory, they also
lead the visitor from the earthly world outside to the heavenly world within. The drawing, usually
dated to ca. 1617–1620, features a grid in black chalk. Thanks to this graphic aid, the sculptor – probably
Hans van Mildert (ca. 1585–1638) – was able to execute Rubens’ design on a large scale with relative
ease. Rubens often worked with Van Mildert, who also sculpted the main altar of the church
after Rubens’ design (cat. 78).
tm
1 Stampfl e/Kraemer/Turner 1991, no. 308.
223