Ghent Altarpiece

The Ghent Altarpiece is a monumental polyptych begun by Hubert van Eyck and completed by Jan van Eyck in 1432. Its central panel depicts the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.

Polyptych: A painting or carved work made of multiple panels joined together, often with hinged wings. The altarpiece’s many hinged panels make it a defining example of this format.
Altarpiece: A work of art placed behind or above a Christian altar. The Ghent panels were designed to function as a devotional focus at an altar.
Hubert van Eyck: A Netherlandish painter traditionally identified as the elder brother of Jan van Eyck. The altarpiece’s inscription credits Hubert with beginning the work.
Ghent Altarpiece restoration: The conservation and restoration campaigns that have examined and treated the Ghent Altarpiece. Recent treatment has removed discolored varnish and exposed details in the central panels.
Early Netherlandish painting: Painting produced in the Low Countries during the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. The altarpiece is a landmark of the region’s naturalistic panel-painting tradition.
Adoration of the Mystic Lamb: A Christian image of worship centered on the sacrificial Lamb of God. This scene occupies the altarpiece’s central lower panel.
Hinged panel: A panel attached by hinges so it can swing open or closed. Its movable wings reveal a more elaborate interior when opened.
Jan van Eyck: A Netherlandish painter renowned for his naturalistic detail and mastery of oil painting. Jan completed the altarpiece, which was installed in 1432.
Just Judges panel: A panel of mounted figures in the Ghent Altarpiece, stolen in 1934 and never recovered. Its theft left the altarpiece with a modern replacement in the lower left wing.
Iconoclasm: The rejection or destruction of religious images, especially for religious or political reasons. The panels were concealed during the 1566 wave of iconoclasm in Ghent.

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GhentBroader topic: This masterpiece in Saint Bavo’s Cathedral gives Ghent a landmark in early Flemish painting.