Six Hundred Years and a Hundred Billion Pixels Later

For the most part, I like to write about art that I have actually seen in person. But in this case I am going to make an exception. The reason is that technology has provided anyone with a computer and an internet connection an amazing ability to look at a certain painting in a whole new way. The work of art itself and the story of its survival make it, well, something extraordinary.  It is called The Ghent Altarpiece or the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb and was created by Hubert and Jan Van Eyck between 1426 and 1432. It is made up of 24 wooden panels is considered one of the first oil paintings ever created and when open is 11 x 15 feet. It hangs in the St. Bravo Cathedral in Ghent Belgium and is considered one of the great art treasures of the world. Oh, and over the centuries it has been stolen six different times and has been coveted by both Napoleon and Hitler among others. The fact that most of it has survived mostly intact is probably a miracle in itself. One of the panels was stolen in the 1930’s and was never recovered. A replacement panel was created in 1946 to take its place. Even Hitler himself sent people to look for the missing panel at the beginning of the war.

The altarpiece had to undergo conservation recently and while it was dismantled it was photographed under extremely high resolution and infra-red light. The results of this effort can be seen here a Closer to Van Eyck:Rediscovering the Ghent Altarpiece  and the results are truly spectacular. It is possible to zoom in on the several hundred figures (and everything else) in the painting and see the remarkable skill that Jan Van Eyck (he is thought to have done most of it) used in rendering this masterpiece.

When closed, the backs of eight panels are visible, portraying the angel Gabriel and Mary, as a dove (a symbol for the Holy Sprit) descends on her indicating that she will be the mother of Christ. Statues of St. John the Evangelist and St. John the Baptist are painted in the panels below. Next to them are the husband and wife donors who paid for the chapel and the altarpiece.

When open twelve panels are visible including the most important central lower panel which depicts a landscape with a sacrificial lamb standing on an altar surrounded by more than 150 worshiping figures both human and angelic. More figures on foot and on horseback representing hermits, pilgrims, knights and judges populate the lower outer panels on each side. On top in the center is God the Father and to his left and right are Mary and John the Baptist, then moving out there are two panels, one with a heavenly choir singing and the other with angels playing instruments. And then finally, the naked figures of Adam and Eve on the outside upper panels.  The symbolism and theology have kept scholars busy for centuries and will continue to do so.

Noah Charney’s book Stealing the Mystic Lamb has a good explanation of some of the symbols in the painting and the history of its near destruction and thefts, including Herman Gorring stealing it during WWII.

Now with the help of modern technology we can all get up close and personal and see for ourselves what all the fuss has been about.