polity duchy of burgundyflemish early renaissance

The Ghent Altarpiece

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Polyptych altarpiece by Jan van Eyck (and possibly Hubert van Eyck), completed 1432. Cathedral of Saint Bavo, Ghent, Belgium. One of the most important works in European art history. Depicts the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb; the panels unfold to reveal an extraordinary programme in oil on panel.

Notes

·The inscription on the frame attributes the work to both Hubert van Eyck and Jan van Eyck: 'The painter Hubrecht van Eyck, than whom none was greater, began this work; his brother Jan, second in art, finished the task at the request of Joost Vijd, on 6 May.' The extent of Hubert's contribution is debated.
·Commissioned by Joos Vijd, a wealthy Ghent bourgeois, and his wife Elisabeth Borluut for the chapel they endowed in Saint John's church (now Saint Bavo Cathedral).
·The altarpiece comprises 12 panels in its open state, 24 in total (including the exterior). The central lower panel shows the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, a complex programme drawn from the Apocalypse.
·The Just Judges panel was stolen in 1934; the copy made by Jef van der Veken occupies its place. The original's location remains unknown.
·Major conservation programme 2012-present by the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) has revealed overpaints and original colours.