
The Fraternity of Our Lady (Broederschap van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw) commissioned this work from Antoon van Dyck for the altar in the choir of Our Lady.It shows an intimate representation of Mary showing the newborn Baby Jesus to the adoring shepherds. One of them has taken a lamb, in reference to Christ as the 'Lamb of God' having come to save humanity from sin. The composition is clever and the colour palette eclectic, with stark contrasts between dark and light.
The painting was restored in the spring of 2020 and can now be admired again in its full glory.
This gothic church dates primarily from the 1300s and 1400s, but a baroque chapel dedicated to the Holy Sacrament was added in the apse at the end of the 17th century. The interior of the building, too, is mainly baroque due to the destruction that went on during the Reformation. The copious number of paintings by Flemish masters (including two by van Dyck) and the rich church treasure with liturgical objects are also remarkable.