Ghent - Cathedral of St Bavon Sint-Baafskathedraal

The Altar of Ghent, also known as "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" after the center panel, is by far the greatest masterpiece of old Flemish painting. The panels, commissioned by the Ghent patrician Josse Vijd for an ambulatory chapel, were allegedly begun about 1420 by Hubert van Eyck (around 1370-1426) and completed by his brother Jan (around 1390-1441) in 1431/32.

It has never been known to what extent each of the brothers was involved in the genesis of the painting. It is generally accepted that in the representation of the Knights of Christ the fourth rider has the features of Jan and the front rider those of Hubert van Eyck.

The large winged altar, which is regarded as the most monumental example of medieval altar painting and as the most important step away from the iconic painting of the Middle Ages towards a realistic style, illustrates in vivid sequential panels the story of Salvation from the Fall of Man to the Redemption. Albrecht Dürer on visiting the altar during his travels through Flanders called it " a magnificent realistic painting".

The work became famous shortly after its completion and had a checkered history. After Philip II coveted it, in 1566 it narrowly escaped destruction by the iconoclasts and was saved from a fire in 1640. The Austrian Emperor Joseph II had the panels with Adam and Eve removed in 1794, objecting to their nakedness - an illustration of the work's striking realism. They were replaced by "clothed" copies. In 1794 the center panels were taken to Paris and exhibited in the Louvre; six panels found their way onto the art market and were bought by the Prussian king, who displayed them in the Berlin Museum. In 1815 the center panels were returned from France, in 1861 the panels of Adam and Eve were acquired by the Brussels Museum. Under the Treaty Of Versailles Germany had to return the wings from Berlin and in 1920 the entire work, with the exception of the Predella (socle) lost in 1550, was put on display again in the cathedral. In 1934 two panels of the left wing were stolen. "John the Baptist" was returned but the inner panel ("The Righteous Judges") was never rediscovered and was replaced by a copy by van der Veken. During the Second World War the altarpiece was hidden in Pau, in southern France, but it was found by German troops and stored in a salt mine near Lake Altau in Styria, Austria. Here it was discovered by American troops and returned to the cathedral.

Since 1986 it has been housed in its own room on the left side of Sint-Baafskathedraal and can be seen from all sides.
The donors of the altarpiece were wealthy wool merchants and there was some comment at the time that they were wearing their own woolen fabrics in their depictions in the paintings.

The outstanding Calvarian triptych of 1464 by Joos van Wassenhove (Justus van Ghent) is shown in one of the chapels. To the left of the choir steps lead down to the crypt of the earlier 10th C. church.

The extensive crypt contains numerous 15th and 16th C. tombs of bishops, a rich treasury including a ninth C. gospel and the shrine of St Macarius by Hugo de la Vigne (1616).

The light interior of the cathedral is richly decorated with some unique paintings. These include "The Conversion of St Baaf" by Peter Paul Rubens (1624) and "Christ among the Doctors" by Frans Pourbus (1571), in which the artist painted well known people of his time such as Philip II, the Duke of Alba, Thomas Calvin, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Charles V, who can be seen in the bottom left corner. There are other important works by Gaspar de Crayer, Maarten de Vos and Otto Venius.

Among the splendid works of sculpture in the cathedral are the pulpit by Laurent Delvaux (1741), the tomb of Bishop A. Triest by Jerôme Duquesnoy (1652), the Baroque organ case (1653) and the bronze door (1633) of the chapel of Bishop A. Triest.