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Anoniem (toegeschreven aan Willem Schubert van Ehrenberg), Interieur van de Bovensodaliteit (detail). Na circa 1710. Antwerpen, privécollectie. Foto: Bart Huysmans & Michel Wuyts

Baroque Influencers

Jesuits, Rubens and the Art of Persuasion

Today, the Nottebohm Room is the most ornate room at the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library. But did you know that 250 years ago a miraculous chapel could be found here? It was very popular with Antwerp's elite, including Rubens and Van Dyck. The exhibition brings this mysterious location back to life. 

 

Individual visitors:

Saturday 22 April 2023 until Sunday 10 September 2023 from 10:00 to 17:00

Antwerp in the 17th century. The Jesuits constructed a building with two richly decorated chapels directly opposite the Saint Charles Borromeo Church. This is where the sodalities gathered. These are fraternities with members who share a faith and have influential positions in society. In fact, they are not dissimilar to service clubs, where the urban elite make interesting contacts.

Wander through the former chapel

Today, on the second floor of the building, you will find the beautiful Nottebohm Room. Recent research has revealed the appearance of the chapel once found there. The ‘Baroque Brotherhoods in the Nottebohm Room’ exhibition invites you to wander around it. Baroque paintings, prints, books and documents bring the chapel back to life. A virtual tour provides insights into the chapel's structure. You also get to know the members of the sodalities better.

"Our investigation revealed a great deal. But quite a few questions remain unanswered," says curator Steven Van Impe. "We hope the exhibition will help find new puzzle pieces. Perhaps we can trace undiscovered paintings. The discovery of the chapel does not stop with this exhibition."

The 'Baroque Brotherhoods in the Nottebohm Room' exhibition is part of the city's Baroque Influencers festival. With exhibits, concerts and other events, the city festival demonstrates how inspiring the Baroque era has been and continues to be.

Within the programme, the 'Baroque Brotherhoods in the Nottebohm Room' exhibition is part of a triptych 'Jesuits, Rubens and the Art of Persuasion' with exhibits in the Saint Charles Borromeo Church and in the Snijders&Rockox House. You can visit all three or each one separately. 

Practical information

You can choose between a separate ticket for the exhibition in the Nottebohm Room or a combi ticket for the three exhibitions.

  • The exhibitions of the 'Jesuits, Rubens and the Art of Persuasion' triptych have different dates. The exhibition in the Nottebohm Room will run from Saturday 22 April to Sunday 10 September 2023. The exhibits at the Saint Charles Borromeo Church and the Snijders&Rockox House both run from Saturday 22 April to Sunday 16 July 2023.
  • The combi ticket formula is applicable from Saturday 22 April to Sunday 16 July 2023.
  • Buy your ticket online: 
    • Choose the date of your visit
    • Choose the time of your visit
  • Buy your combiticket online: 

    • Choose the date of your visit
    • Choose the time of your visit