In and around Antwerp, Belgium, one comes across the “Corner Mary”, sculptures placed on the corner of buildings, above ground floor, that display the Madonna and Child (Mary and the baby Jesus). These sculptures can be grand or humble, their purpose being at once historical and obscure. Some sources state that these icons came about after the Spanish re-conquest of Antwerp, with the conqueror’s emphasis placed on strict Catholicism (after the Protestant iconoclasm) . . . and/or as a way for neighborbood streets to connect to the electrical grid; the bulb for these sculptures was considered a votive and so the electrical service went untaxed.
A “Corner Mary” on the corner of Duinstraat and Lange Zavelstraat, Antwerp that was in bad shape at the time of the photograph but which has since been renovated.
The uniformed tourist or new-comer is alternately perplexed and intrigued by the “Corner Mary”, as unlike Antwerp’s grand cathedrals (which are now, more or less, didactic museums), the “Corner Mary” has been left unexplained, especially for those who don’t know the native tongue. One can deduce, in the variety of explanations and anecdotes (as detailed above), a general lack of information. But what is truly intriguing is that once out of the city center, one comes across modernist, tiny, unique variations on the theme, sculptures obviously installed well after the Spanish colonization. Altogether, the “Corner Mary”, whether opulent or basic, exude a contemporaneous spirituality that has been stripped of dour Calvenism, placed in entirely unforeseen circumstances.
A modernist “Corner Mary” on the corner of Klappeistraat and Kerkstraat, sitting above another Antwerp tradition – a frituur, where Belgian fries are made and sold (as well as other snacks).
It’s not only Mary and the baby Jesus that are displayed in this way, but various saints and martyrs. But the mother and child tare, at times, sensuous and hence, somewhat pagan, the baby is at times naked, both characters satisfied and/or happy; al jaunty crown rests on the head.
Since the inquisition has thankfully come and gone and there are no religious police making sure I don’t idle on Sunday, I am given leave to offer, whenever I pass one of these icons, whatever salute that comes into mind.
A blank “Corner Mary” on the corner of Kroonstraat and Turnhoutsebaan.
There are official photographic surveys of the icons*, as well as (I’m sure) many other photographers like myself documenting the “Corner Mary”. This practice, photographic collecting, is analogous to the amorphous contemporary genre of “conceptual photography”, something like Ed Ruscha photographing every building on Sunset Boulevard (Los Angeles) or Michael Wolf’s photographic work in Hong Kong.
An orthodox Jewish woman and soldiers under a “Corner Mary” in Antwerp.
A Muslim woman under a “Corner Mary” in Antwerp.
*Wim Strecker et al., Madonna en heiligenbeelden in de Antwerpse binnenstad (Antwerpen: Voor Kruis en Beeld vzw/BAI, 2010)
For further information: find below the content of a folded A4 size zine recently distributed at the Antwerp Academy of Art’s 8th annual art book fair, October 15, 2022
