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The River Scheldt, the vital artery of the city of Antwerp, divides this balanced composition into two equal parts. On the right bank of the river (the upper half), a panoramic view of the city emerges from the misty depths, dominated by the towers of the Church of St Walburga, the spire of the Gothic cathedral, the church of St Andrew and the abbey of St Michael. On the left bank, in the foreground, there is a small village built up around the chapel of St Anne. A crowd of people has gathered on the riverbanks in order to admire the ships heading out to sea. Several boats under full sail and a richly ornamented galley raise their proud silhouettes against the wind, symbols of the city's mercantile success.
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