Pulpit

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Laurent Delvaux, 1741 — 1745
St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent

The rococo pulpit in St Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent is not only impressive, but breathtaking. The size of the ensemble, the exceptional three-dimensional quality of the sculptures, and the elaboration of the decorative elements in rococo style make this piece of religious furniture unique in eighteenth-century sculpture in the Southern Netherlands. The interplay of different materials and the tonality, with black and white marble, bare oak and gilded wood, was completely new in the elaboration of church furnishings. This way, the sculptor, Laurent Delvaux, sought to emphasize the iconographic meaning of the ensemble. He drew inspiration from Italy.

It will come as no surprise that Delvaux needed four years to complete the pulpit, which depicts the allegorical scene Time Discovers Truth. It is undoubtedly one of his most expressive works. The ensemble is moreover seen as pivotal in the transition from Baroque to Neoclassicism. The fact that the pulpit is still in its original location, although it lost its function due to the Second Vatican Council, is extraordinary.

— Frederica Van Dam, Curator, Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent