Crimes Behind the Canvas presents: The Incredible Story of the Ghent Altarpiece Part I
This is the story of how one medieval masterpiece survived six centuries of theft, war, political upheaval, and one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in art history.
Some works of art become famous because of the genius of the artist who created them. Others become famous because of the extraordinary stories that surround them. The Ghent Altarpiece is one of the rare masterpieces that has earned both distinctions.
Completed in 1432, the altarpiece has survived nearly six centuries of political upheaval, religious conflict, imperial conquest, theft, war, and one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in the art world. It has been dismantled, scattered across Europe, seized by emperors, coveted by dictators, hidden deep inside a mountain, and painstakingly recovered more than once. Yet despite all of that, one of its original panels has never been found.
If paintings could testify, the Ghent Altarpiece would have one of the longest witness statements in history.
Its story begins not with a crime, but with an ambitious commission in the prosperous medieval city of Ghent. Wealthy merchant Joos Vijd and his wife, Lysbette Borluut, commissioned an elaborate altarpiece for their private chapel in what is now St. Bavo's Cathedral. They wanted something that would reflect both their faith and their status, but what they received would become far more significant than either could have imagined.
The project was entrusted to the brothers Hubert van Eyck and Jan van Eyck. Although historians continue to debate exactly how much each brother contributed, an inscription on the frame credits Hubert with beginning the work before his death and Jan with bringing it to completion.
When the altarpiece was unveiled in 1432, it was unlike anything Europe had seen. Known formally as The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, the massive polyptych consists of multiple hinged panels that open to reveal an astonishing panorama of biblical scenes. At its center stands the Lamb of God, surrounded by saints, prophets, angels, martyrs, and pilgrims, all rendered with a level of realism that seemed almost miraculous to fifteenth-century viewers.
Jan van Eyck's mastery of oil paint allowed him to create luminous colors, convincing textures, and astonishingly lifelike details. Silk appears to shimmer. Polished metal reflects light. Individual hairs, gemstones, flowers, and even distant landscapes are painted with breathtaking precision. The altarpiece didn't simply tell a religious story, but rather it invited viewers into it.
Its artistic achievement quickly earned admiration across Europe. Pilgrims traveled to Ghent to see it. Artists studied it. Patrons admired it. Within a generation, the Ghent Altarpiece had become one of the most celebrated works of Northern Renaissance art.
Unfortunately, admiration has a way of attracting attention for reasons beyond appreciation. Over the centuries, the Ghent Altarpiece would become far more than a masterpiece. It would become a prize. Every conquering army, ambitious ruler, opportunistic thief, and determined investigator who crossed its path added another chapter to a story that is as remarkable as the painting itself.
To understand why so many people risked so much to possess it, we first have to understand how a work of art became a symbol of power as much as beauty.
stay tuned for Part II...
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