Museum Snijders&Rockoxhuis presents the completed restoration of Jacques Jordaens’s monumental canvas The Miraculous Draught of Fishes. Before the work returns to the Sint-Jacobskerk (St. James’s Church) next year, it will be on display in the museum for several months. For this occasion, the painting is surrounded by a selection of rarely exhibited works and loans from private collections.
Restoration of The Miraculous Draught of Fishes
The Miraculous Draught of Fishes by Jacques Jordaens (1593–1678), a Flemish Masterpiece, has undergone a thorough restoration by King Kaizen over the past few months. The work was carried out in an open studio within the Museum Snijders&Rockoxhuis commissioned by the City of Antwerp / AG Vespa, under the supervision and support of the Topstukkenraad (Masterpieces Council).
Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678), The Appointment of Peter as Chief Shepherd (after restoration), ca 1616-17
Sint-Jacobskerk, Antwerp
Restorers Caroline Meert, Sara De Wilde, and Kaat Sneiders removed layers of yellowed varnish and repaired damage to the canvas. Additional research during the project provided new insights and a significant correction: the traditional title, The Appointment of Peter as Supreme Shepherd of the Church, has been rejected in favor of The Miraculous Draught of Fishes. Visitors can view the masterpiece at eye level before it returns to its permanent location in the choir of the Sint-Jacobskerk.
New Acquisition
The museum is also presenting a newly acquired drawing by Jordaens, recently purchased from the Antwerp art dealer Tyr Baudouin. While it appears to be a harmonious still life featuring plates, glasses, and waffles, the sheet is a working document rather than a finished artwork. Jordaens used these studies for larger compositions; the depicted platters and winter delicacies appear in specific variants of The King Drinks held in Brussels and Jerusalem. The drawing offers insight into the artist’s creative process.
Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678), Still Life, ca 1645
Snijders&Rockoxhuis, Antwerp
A Proverb Depicted
Also on view for the first time is a previously unknown proverb scene by Jordaens from a private collection. The work depicts a lavishly set feast table that is overturned by a raging elderly woman. This theatrical outburst conveys a moral message, expressed in the French proverb “Qui trop embrasse, mal étreint” (He who grasps at too much, loses everything). This rare visualization of the proverb aligns with Jordaens’s iconic compositions such as The King Drinks and As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young.
Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678), The Interrupted Banquet, ca 1645-50
Private collection, Belgium
Tapestries and Sketches
In addition to these works, the presentation includes a monumental tapestry designed by Jordaens (from the KBC collection), which contrasts with a small, recently identified design drawing for David and Goliath in the Royal Palace Amsterdam. The exhibition also features the temporary return of the fragile masterpiece Five Gossips (Vijf Clappeien), a delicate drawing Jordaens created in 1659.