The Ghent Altarpiece

An altarpiece of many panels

The Ghent Altarpiece, also called the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, is a huge folding altarpiece of twelve panels in Saint Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent. An inscription says it was begun by Hubert van Eyck and completed by his brother Jan in 1432. It is one of the founding masterpieces of oil painting.

The Lamb on the altar

In the central lower panel, a lamb, symbol of Christ, stands on an altar in a flowering meadow. Angels kneel around it, and crowds of saints, prophets and martyrs approach from all sides. A fountain of life flows in the foreground.

An enthroned figure in red

Above, a majestic figure in a red robe and jewelled crown sits enthroned, raising his hand in blessing. Scholars debate whether he is God the Father or Christ.

Beside him, angels sing from a book, their faces showing the effort of singing.

Adam and Eve at the edges

At the far left and right stand Adam and Eve, nearly life-size and painted with startling realism.

Eve holds a small fruit. They were among the first life-size nudes in northern European painting.

Stolen, hidden and restored

The altarpiece has been taken by Napoleon’s troops and by the Nazis, and recovered each time. One panel, the Just Judges, was stolen in 1934 and has never been found; a copy replaces it. A major restoration began in 2012.

Hubert and Jan van Eyck

Very little is known about Hubert van Eyck. The inscription on the altarpiece says he was the greatest painter who ever lived and that he began the work, which his brother Jan completed. Hubert died in 1426. Historians still debate which parts each brother painted. Some even questioned whether Hubert existed, though most now accept that he did.

Jan van Eyck became court painter to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, and is one of the most celebrated artists of the fifteenth century.

The donors

The altarpiece was commissioned by Joos Vijd, a rich Ghent citizen, and his wife Elisabeth Borluut, for their chapel in the church of Saint John, now Saint Bavo’s Cathedral. When the altarpiece is closed, the couple appear kneeling in prayer on the outer wings, painted with remarkable realism. The outer panels also show the Annunciation and the two Saint Johns in grey stone colours.

The altarpiece was opened on feast days, revealing the brilliant colours of the interior.

Astonishing detail

The altarpiece is famous for its detail. Botanists have identified dozens of plant species in the meadow around the Lamb. The jewels in the crowns, the reflections in metal, the textures of fabrics and the individual faces of the crowds are all painted with precision. The landscape includes real and imagined buildings, including towers that may recall Utrecht cathedral.

Viewers in the fifteenth century were amazed. The altarpiece became a place of pilgrimage for artists, including Albrecht Dürer, who visited in 1521 and praised it.

The restored Lamb

The restoration that began in 2012 removed later overpaint from the Lamb and revealed Van Eyck’s original face. The new face, with large, frontal, almost human eyes, surprised the public and was widely discussed online. Experts confirmed it was the original fifteenth-century painting, hidden for centuries.

Where to see it

The Ghent Altarpiece is displayed in a visitor centre inside Saint Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent. Our hand-painted oil reproduction recreates the open altarpiece. For more masterpieces, explore our top 100 most famous paintings.

Questions about the Ghent Altarpiece

Where is it?

Saint Bavo’s Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium.

Who painted it?

Hubert and Jan van Eyck, completed in 1432.

What does the Lamb mean?

It symbolises Christ’s sacrifice.

Is a panel missing?

Yes. The Just Judges panel was stolen in 1934 and never recovered.

Who commissioned the altarpiece?

Joos Vijd and his wife Elisabeth Borluut, for their chapel.

Why did the Lamb’s face cause a stir?

The restoration revealed the original, strikingly human-looking face, hidden under later overpaint.

Sources and image credit

• Wikimedia Commons: Ghent Altarpiece (open)

Public-domain reproduction of the Ghent Altarpiece (1432), via Wikimedia Commons. Detail images are crops of the same image; no reconstruction or upscaling.