Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-07-01
HISTORIC TOWN.
The Old City of Antwerp and Its Magnificent
Cathedral.

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correspondent from that city to the
New York Post. The first church was
built in Antwerp in GAL. The Norsemen
burned the city in S35, and when the
church was rebuilt this sentence was add
ed to its litany: From the fury of the
Norsemen, good Lord deliver u.s. The
oft repeated prayer was not answered I'M
til 891 when Larraine, Bavaria, Saxony,
and other districts prosecuted by these
vagabonds united for their extermitation,
and in one day, by preconcerted massa-
ere, killed off more than 100000 of them.
and then the Antwerp church substituted
a collect for thanksgiving for its long wall
of prayer. During the middle ages, and
in the time of the reformation, Antwerp
displayed remarkable courage in main
tanning the principles of the new religion
which, however, was finally put down by
the strong hand. At last, having by turns
been Catholic and Protestant, Dutch and
French, Belgium became independent in
1880. Her security consists in the jeal-
ousy of her big neighbOrs' more than in
her useless and expensive maintenance of
an army of 100000 men.
1t is creditable to the Protestant re-
formers of Antwerp that they were not
umphed over religious preiudices, for
to Catholicism it was conceded by them,
as it is by US, that she is the mother and
the guardian angel of the aesthetic and
the beautiful. This grand cathedral is
one Of her enduring monuments. Anti
quarians seem to be as much at a loss
for its origin as for that of the city it
self. 1t is generally agreed that it was
in IN there iS no N
the architect who conceived its plan. The
entire uniformity of everything below
the belfry of the great tower is proof
that thus far it was the conception of
single mind. 1t is indeed a miracle of
history that she should have hiden the
name of such a genious in oblivion. Ant
were cathedral is difficult structure to
observe, for there is no point from which
may be had general coup d'oeil, COM
passed as it is by narrow streets of high
buildings, You can really get more
Intelligent view of it from artistic draw
ings, made with a due regard for its pro-
portions, than by travelling around and
surveying it under tide ewes Two i'm
mense towers ascend in symmetry to the
belfries, and there one of them termin-
ates, covered by a roof having the APP
pearance of being pat on merely to shed
the rain. At the same height the archi-
tectural plan of the other likewise comes
to an end. 1t is probable that the origi-
nal idea was to finish with square tow
ers, but some gingerbread artist obtained
permission to pile up the stone in any
shape SO far as he could safely go. He
or they-for, from the incongruity,
doubtless more than one were engaged
in the fnish-succeeded in reaching an
altitude exceeded only by the spires of
and Cologne. We assembled
to the last of the 622 steps of the spiral
staircase until we squirmed into the small
open space under the cupola, and were
then well paid for the effort. The day
was pretty clear, so that we had good
views of Brussels, Client, Breda, Malines,
Flushing, and the sea. Sometimes, with
a better atmosphere, there is said to be
radius of view of seventy-five miles. |
Descending from our lofty perch, and |
entering within the cathedral, we find |
what we can not take away in drawings
or photographs. These may carry home |
the monuments Of antiquity and the
palaces and streets of the present, saving
the trouble and expense of travel; but the
expression which coloring gives to pict
ures is not to be transported across the
You must come to the spot to
fix your gaze upon these masterpieces of
Rubens. First and least, you will see the |
famous assumption which has often
been so unfavorably criticised. But it |
must be remembered that Rubens in this |
case was working for his daily bread by
contract. 1t was painted in sixteen days, |
for the price of 900 forms ($640). More |
over, it can scarcely be considered his |
work at all. as beyond the conception of |
the idea the minor details were executed |
by his pupils. But coming to the ascent"
and the descent from the Cross" the |
masters hand is visible throughout. 1t |
is universally admitted that these are his |
greatest, his inimitable works. Of the |
two the descent" is considered to be the |
superior. If any conclusion may be ar
rived at from a mOnyed valuation, it may |
be inferred that Rubens himself estimated |
the one not much above the other. His |
price for the elevation" was 2,400 forms |
$3.50, for the Descent" $500 forms |
($l,O4O). We could but incline to the be-
lief that as d representation of profound |
sadness the one less esteemed is quite |
equal to the other. The greater value at
tached to the Descent" arises from our
participation in the feelings of the |
on whose countenances such
touching sadness is evinced; and we may
the artistic merit of the |
Elevation" because of our repugnance
to the act and our horror at the fend-like |
attitude and expression of those engaged |
in its performance.
The representation of the ''Descent"
can not be in accordance with facts. As |
was performed by mailing the
victim to the cross while recumbent on
the ground, and then elevating it as seen
in the painting, so most naturally the
cross itself would afterward have been
taken down for the removal. It is beyond
belief that a ladder should have been
brought into use. It is a cruel liberty
with truth that all have taken who have
dared to approach that solemn subject.
In the cathedral are several minor
paintings by the great master, and by
others leis famous, but still of high re-
pute. There are one or two by Quentin |
Matsys, whose romantic story is often |
told, though there is some doubt as to the |
truth of it. Matsys, who was black
smith, became enamored of the daughter |
of painter, who disposed of the young
L.