Preekstoel in de Sint-Andrieskerk in Antwerpen 1866 - 1870

Jules Hippolyte Quéval captured this image of the pulpit in St. Andrew’s Church in Antwerp using the albumen silver print technique. Quéval, who operated in a rapidly industrializing Belgium, offers us a glimpse into a space where the spiritual and the social intersect. Antwerp, a bustling port city, was a melting pot of cultures and classes, and the church served as a focal point for community life. The pulpit, elaborately carved and positioned prominently, was where the word of God was delivered. Consider how gender and class dynamics play out here. The church, while offering solace, often reinforced societal norms, dictating roles for men and women. The wealthy citizens could commission private chapels while the working class found community in the pews. The emotional weight of religious doctrine, with its promises of salvation and warnings of damnation, surely resonated differently depending on one's station in life. Quéval's photograph captures a moment frozen in time, a testament to the enduring power of faith and its influence on the human experience.