Altaarstuk van eikenhout in de Sint-Sulpitiuskerk in Diest, België before 1887

This is an image of an oak altarpiece located in the Sint-Sulpitiuskerk in Diest, Belgium. While its creator remains anonymous, we can see this was a highly skilled woodworker. Altarpieces like this one played a significant role in the religious and social life of the time. They served as focal points for prayer and devotion and were often commissioned by wealthy patrons or guilds. The image depicts what appears to be the Nativity scene in the central panel, with the Holy Family surrounded by adoring figures. Above this, the sculpture of what might be Saint Joseph and a child. The choice of oak as the primary material reflects the abundance of this wood in the region and its durability, as well as its symbolic associations with strength and longevity. Further research into the history of the Sint-Sulpitiuskerk and the guilds that commissioned altarpieces would shed more light on the social and cultural context of this impressive work.