The view shows the interior of the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp (begun in 1352; nave and aisles not roofed until 1611–1616). The height and length of the nave have been exaggerated by the artist and the paintings and sculptural details are fanciful. Their inclusion, however, emphasises that the Cathedral is Catholic, and thus allowed to use such artistic displays to impress and teach the faithful (for a very different Protestant Church interior cf. De Witte P254). Similarly, the priest in his vestments and the lavishly dressed figures in the foreground reflect the Catholic aristocratic nature of society in the Southern Netherlands. The superior handling of the present picture suggests that it was painted by Pieter Neeffs the Elder.