In the north of Europe, the Protestant Reformation from the early 16th century onwards led to a swift decline in the number of altarpieces produced.[9] Outbursts of iconoclasm locally led to the destruction of many altarpieces.[10] As an example, during the burning of the Antwerp Cathedral in the course of the Reformation in 1533, more than fifty altarpieces were destroyed.[3] The Reformation in itself also promoted a new way of viewing religious art.