Eight parts of the Ghent Altar restored and accessible to visitors

GENT. Eight of the twenty-four panels of the famous Ghent Altar or the “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, Van Eyck” altar after many years returned home, to St. Gavan’s Cathedral in Ghent. The restoration of the altar lasted four years, and from today it is available to visitors. Until October 16, you can look at a work of art for free.

The restored part of the altar (closed sashes)

The Ghent Altar of the 15th century is one of the first art works in the world painted in oil. It is a triptych, the side wings of which open and close. The eight restored side panels on display in Ghent make up the exterior of the sash of the altar. The interior of the altar has yet to be restored and the first in line is the bottom panel, which shows the lamb. This part of the altar will be removed already this week, and during the restoration work it will be replaced by a digital copy.

Pictures of Jan van Eyck

Restoration of parts of the Ghent Altar takes place in the Fine Arts Museum of the city with the participation of restorers of the Royal Institute of Cultural Heritage of Belgium (Belgium’s Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage). Workshops in which work takes place are also available for visiting.

The first of three stages of the full restoration of all parts of the Ghent Altar took two years more and cost twice as much as was originally assumed. All work is expected to be completed by 2020.

Anna Sidorova © Gallerix.ru