What happened to the original Jesuit Church panels?

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The Fate of the Jesuit Church Panels Remains Undetermined Following a Fire

The original large panels commissioned from Peter Paul Rubens for the ceiling of the Jesuit Church in Antwerp, for which the recently rediscovered sketch of Saint Margaret served as a model, are presumed lost. These panels were intended for the church's ceiling, which suffered destruction by fire in 1718. While the sketches were retained by Rubens, the ultimate fate of the larger painted panels after the 1718 conflagration is not specified.
Panels Commissioned for Antwerp's Jesuit Church

In 1620, 39 substantial panels were commissioned from Rubens for the Jesuit Church in Antwerp. This church was designed to be one of the largest in Flanders, intended to serve as a prominent symbol of the Catholic Church. Rubens himself painted the preparatory sketches entirely, refusing to sell them, though the larger panels were executed with the assistance of his students and workshop.
Destruction of the Church Ceiling by Fire

The ceiling of the Jesuit Church, which housed these significant artworks, was destroyed by a fire that occurred in 1718. This event marked the loss of the architectural element that supported the commission of 39 large panels from Rubens' workshop.
Unspecified Fate of the Panels Post-Fire

Although the article clearly states that the church's ceiling was destroyed by fire in 1718, it does not provide details regarding the condition or whereabouts of the large painted panels themselves after this incident. General historical context suggests that significant fires often lead to the complete destruction or irreparable damage of artworks and structural elements within a building.

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What happened to the original Jesuit Church panels?

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