Ghent Altarpiece, 4 interior panels
Jan van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece is on any art historian’s list of the 10 most important paintings—and it's arguably the most influential painting ever. Often referred to by the subject of its central panel, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, it represents the fulcrum between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. A forerunner of Realism and filled with unprecedented detail, it was the first major oil painting and the most famous artwork in Europe when it was completed in 1432.
It is also the most frequently stolen. Since its completion, this 12-panel work has been looted in three wars, burned, dismembered, forged, smuggled, illegally sold, censored, and hidden. It was attacked by iconoclasts, used as a diplomatic tool, ransomed, hunted by the Nazis and Napoleon, rescued by Austrian double agents, and stolen a total of 12 times. Noah Charney, an author and art historian, highlights the extraordinary story of this altarpiece.
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*
General Information
*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.
