81. THE ‘OUR LADY OF REDEMPTION’ CHAPEL WINDOWS

Four of the six windows in the Chapel of Our Lady of Deliverance (Redemption) were executed in the 1650s by Jean De Labaer of Antwerp, from designs by Theodor van Thulden. The other two are 19th century recreations by Capronnier.     INDEX

82. CHAPEL EASTERN WINDOWS

The ‘Our Lady’ window shown at left is high in the North wall of the Chapel, right in the Northeast corner. The East window next to it appears to show a Nativity scene, but is almost completely obscured by the 1666 shrine. Pity!

83. CHAPEL WINDOWS

The windows in the Chapel of Our Lady of Redemption were donated by rulers and personalities well known at the time: the King of Spain Philip IV, Archduke Leopold William (1614–1662) (great-nephew of Charles V and representative of King Philip IV in the southern Low Countries from 1647 to 1656), the German Emperor Ferdinand III (1608Ð1657) and Ferdinand’s son Leopold I (1640–1705).

84. CHAPEL SOUTH WALL

Below the windows on the South wall of the Chapel we find a row of landscape oil paintings, and a large tomb memorial. There is in fact another large memorial on the West wall at our extreme right.

85. CHAPEL PAINTINGS

The four oil paintings are large and beautiful, but I can find no information about them.   

86. CHAPEL MEMORIALS

The monument against the South wall shown at left is the sarcophagus and monument to Felix de Merode (1791 – 1857). He was a Belgian politician. He has been called ‘the architect of Belgian independence’. •• The monument at right is against the West wall of the Chapel, and remembers Felix’s brother Frédéric de Merode (1792 – 1830). Frédéric became a national hero when he was killed in the battle near Berchem during the Belgian revolution.

87. WEST WALL AND PAINTING

The large painting on the West wall is ‘Our Lady’s Assumption’ by F. J. Navez, and dates from 1847. Catholics believe that when Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, died, her body was ‘assumed’ into heaven to be reunited with her soul, instead of going through the natural process of physical decay upon death.

88. CHAPEL TO THE EAST

We next turn to the front of the Chapel. Before us is an altar platform with a very interesting lectern and altar. Further back at left is another (small) organ, and in the centre a high altar with Our Lady of Redemption, and another large painting above.

89. CHAPEL ALTAR

The Chapel lectern and altar ar unusual and spectacular. The lectern picks up a common theme for church lecterns – that of the eagle with outspread wings – and then recreates it dramatically. The altar picks up the avian theme with the glass top being supported by pelicans. There is an old story of a mother pelican feeding her chicks with blood drawn from her breast, along with an analogy to the sacrifice of Christ.

90. CHAPEL ORGAN

Close to the lectern stands this very fine little organ.

91. CHAPEL HIGH ALTAR

At the East end (front) of the Chapel stands this Baroque marble altar by Jan Voorspoel (1666). On the altar is the figure of Our Lady, and above, another fine painting.

92. CHAPEL FRONT MEMORIALS

On either side of the high altar are these black and white memorials – large pieces of furniture which were created in the popular style of the time.  

93. MARY GLORIFIED

The focus in this Southern chapel is the statue of Our Lady of Deliverance (1592). It is clear that this chapel serves as ’the Lady Chapel’ for this Cathedral. •• The painting above the altar is ‘Assumption of Mary’ by Jean-Baptiste de Champaigne (1631 – 1681) – a Flemish Baroque painter and teacher.

94. TOWARDS THE SANCTUARY

We now leave ‘the Lady of Redemption Chapel’, and move back to the crossing, looking East to the high altar. There is a curious grill on the floor in front of us, some dark stalls at the sides,and further away, the high altar. Yet another pipe organ can be seen to the left of the altar.

95. OLD CHOIR STALLS

The Choir stalls lined up on either side come from the old Benedictine abbey located in the Brussels municipality of Forest.    

96. EASTERN CRYPT

The floor grill in the choir area miraculously unfolds to reveal an entrance to another crypt. Again, this crypt is quite small, but some graves and some old wall paintings are revealed.  

97. HIGH ALTAR

The gilded copper high altar (1887) by Lambert Van Rijswijck is no longer in use. It has three panels across the front: from left, a worshipping angel, at centre the glorified Christ, and at right perhaps John the Evangelist? •• There is some lovely decorative floor tiling around the high altar. •• The space between the columns behind the altar is filled by a rather stark dark blue and gold panel with a plain blue cross, shielding the Maes Chapel from view.

98. ORGAN AND EFFIGY

Another pipe organ can be seen to the let of the high altar. This is a smaller instrument, suitable for accompanying choirs.  •• Behind the altar and on the right side is an effigy – that of Archduke Ernst of Austria (1553 – 1595). From 1576 onwards, he was governor in the Archduchy of Austria, where he promoted the Counter-Reformation. In 1590, he became governor of Inner Austria as regent for his young cousin Ferdinand, and from 1594 to 1595 he served as Governor of the Spanish Netherlands.He died in Brussels.

99. TITLE

Charles and his whole Hapsburg family are featured in the five windows high above the Choir: The first window is a portrait of the grandparents of Charles V: Maximilian I of Austria (also Holy Roman Emperor) and his wife, Queen Mary of Burgundy. The second window shows their son Phillip the Handsome and his wife Johanna of Castile (daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella). The third window consists of their sons Charles V and his younger brother Ferdinand who succeeded him as Holy Roman Emperor. The fourth window is a portrait of Phillip II, son of Charles V, who succeeded him as King of Spain. The final is of Philibert, Duke of Savoy and his wife Margaret of Austria, aunt and godmother of Charles V. Margaret raised her nephews Charles and Ferdinand while governing the Low Countries, first for her father Maximilian and then for Charles.

Finally, here below are three of the five windows above the choir.  On the left are Maximilian I and his wife Mary (grandparents of Charles V). In the centre are Phillip the Handsome and his wife Johanna (parents of Charles V). On the right are Charles V and his younger brother Ferdinand I.    [Photo2 Credit: Wikimedia Aw58]