And [Jesus] said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
(Mt. 4: 19-20)

---

This liturgical piece of furniture from 1821 shows us how an artist, who combines ‘realism-with-emotion’ can drag you into a story, even before the preacher has uttered a single word.

It is a pulpit was made out of wood. The sculptor was Jan Frans Van Geel and Jan Baptist Van Hool was the carpenter. The scene depicts (ad vivum – from life) the vocation of two apostles, Andreas and his brother Peter, by profession fishermen in the Sea of Galilee.

The life-size characters and the props of the story are almost tangible: the boat, the oars, the nets, the fish, the lobster, the crab. As a theatrical décor, there is a rock formation in the background, which is overgrown with plants and which rises up to the sounding board through a tree trunk.

Painters have to suggest a third, spatial dimension through light and shadow. But here this spatial element comes to us in a hyper-realistic way. In art, Jesus can hardly come any closer to the people than he is here.

And finally, the depicting of the expressive hands evokes a fourth dimension, time, a message across the centuries; it is the divine invitation “Come, follow me“. Before our eyes both brothers, while engaged in their busy activities, are experiencing a radical change in their lives. Also we, the spectators, are invited to reflect on the meaning of vocation in our lives.

• Route South continues: from the Sint-Andriesstraat, cross to the Sleutelstraat and turn left right along the Kammenstraat to the Everdijstraat. The deconsecrated St. Augustine’s Church had a monumental altarpiece by each of our three masters, today to be seen in the KMSKA. Jordaens and Van Noort occupied a house together in the Everdijstraat.
• If you turn left for two minutes in the direction of the intersection of Wilde Zee/Wild Sea, you will see a composite façade of three houses at Wiegstraat 19. Behind it was the banquet hall of the Guild of Saint Luke, a true gallery of art. Come back here or immediately turn right into the Korte and then the Lange Gasthuisstraat.