15 Mysteries of the Rosary

For more than 400 years, the famous 15 Mysteries of the Rosary hung four metres high in the Sint-Pauluskerk (St Paul’s Church) in Antwerp. From 11 July, the monumental paintings can be seen together and outside the church for the first time. In Het Noordbrabants Museum, you come face to face with the masterpieces of Peter Paul Rubens, Jacob Jordaens and Anthony van Dyck.

The 17th-century paintings show the fifteen mysteries of the rosary: important moments from the life of Jesus and Mary. Together they tell a story of joy, sorrow and hope. These universal themes still make the works relevant today. In the exhibition, you see not only 17th-century masterpieces but also contemporary art by, among others, Mona Hatoum, Latifa Echakhch, Maria Roosen, Geraldo Dos Santos and Cecilia Vicuña. Just like the 15 Mysteries, their work is about memories, rituals, loss, connection and what people pass on to each other.

Cover image: Matthijs Voet, Pentecost, ca. 1617, St Paul’s Church, Antwerp