Restoration of Rubens' tomb in Antwerp's St James' Church to start soon

Thanks to the Erfgoed Challenge (Heritage Challenge) the restoration of the Rubens Chapel, the final resting place of the famous painter Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp's St James's Church, will soon begin. The Rubens Chapel won the Heritage Challenge in autumn, thanks to thousands of votes cast by the public.

The tomb of Rubens (1577-1640) houses a whole series of art treasures. Next to the marble altar hangs a work by Rubens himself, "Madonna Enthroned with Child and Saints" from 1630, which is soon to be restored. "It was Ruben's last wish that the Madonna should hang at his tomb," says Hilde De Clercq, director of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA). "With the restoration of this work, we will once again highlight Ruben's last wish."

It is not known for whom Rubens painted the Madonna. At the end of the eighteenth century it was seized by French troops and sent to Paris. Years later, it returned to Antwerp. Only when the restorers remove the work from the wall, they will be able to fully measure the damage. "Each painting has its own pleasant or unpleasant surprises," says De Clercq. Specialists from abroad will also be working on the restoration.

In addition to the painting, the altar, the tomb and the epitaph will also be restored. This will only happen after the roofs, facades, windows and walls of the chapel have been finished. St. James' church itself will also be restored. The earliest wall painting dates from 1507. During the Easter holidays and from 4 June to 1 August, the Rubens Chapel can be visited one last time in its present state. This summer, the Rubens Chapel will close and the Madonna will move to the KIK after almost 400 years. The reopening will take place in 2024.

This autumn there will be a new Erfgoed Challenge. For the first time, heritage managers and owners will be able to nominate a project themselves.

© BELGA PHOTO ROBBE VANGEHUCHTE - Illustration picture shows the Rubenskapel (Rubens Chapel) in Antwerp's 'Sint-Jacobskerk' (Saint-James' Church), Friday 01 April 2022.