The Ghent Altarpiece or the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, completed in 1432, is a very large and complex polyptych panel painting in the Joost Vijd chapel at Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium. It was commissioned by the wealthy merchant Joost Vijd. Hubert Van Eyck started and his brother, the famous "Flemish Primitive" Jan Van Eyck, finished the work.
The Mystic Lamb consists of 24 scenes, making up two views (open and closed) which are changed by moving the hinged outer wings. The upper register of the opened view shows Christ "the King" between the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist. The insides of the wings represent angels, who are singing and making music. On the outsides are Adam and Eve. The lower register shows the adoration of the Lamb of God, with several groups in attendance and streaming in to worship.
Art historians consider the Mystic Lamb as one of the most influential oil paintings in Christendom. The work highlights what made Jan Van Eyck famous: the beautiful light, the intricate details and composition.
The lower left panel known as The Just Judges was stolen on April 11, 1934. The original panel has never been found and has been replaced by a copy. This is one of the many mysteries surrounding the Mystic Lamb and Belgium's greatest unsolved mystery, with countless amateur and professional sleuths still tracking clues. In a BBC interview with crime novelist Minette Walters, former police chef Karel Mortier referred to the theft as "the art crime of the century". Read more »
