Ghent Altarpiece facts for kids

Opened view of the polyptych.

Closed view, back panels.

The Ghent Altarpiece is a very famous and large painting. It is also known as the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. This amazing artwork was finished in 1432. It is considered one of Belgium's greatest treasures.

It is a type of painting called a polyptych. This means it has many panels joined together. The altarpiece was made for the Joost Vijdt chapel. This chapel is inside Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. A rich merchant named Joost Vijdt paid for it. He wanted it for his and his wife's private chapel.

The painting was started by Hubert van Eyck. He died in 1426 before it was finished. His younger brother, Jan van Eyck, then completed the artwork.

What the Altarpiece Shows

The altarpiece has 24 framed panels in total. It can be seen in two ways: open or closed.

The Open View

When the altarpiece is open, you see many different scenes.

• The top row shows Christ the King in the middle.
• On either side of him are the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist.
• The panels on the sides show angels singing and playing music.
• At the very ends of the top row, you can see Adam and Eve.

The bottom row of the central panel shows the "adoration of the Lamb of God". This means many groups of people are coming to worship a lamb. A dove, representing the Holy Spirit, watches over them.

The Closed View

On weekdays, the altarpiece used to be closed. When closed, it showed different scenes.

• You could see the Annunciation of Mary. This is when the Archangel Gabriel tells Mary she will have Jesus.
• It also showed portraits of Joost Vijdt and his wife, Lysbette Borluut. These are called donor portraits because they were the "donors" or people who paid for the artwork.

History of the Altarpiece

There used to be writing on the frame of the altarpiece. It said that Hubert van Eyck started the painting. It also said that Jan van Eyck finished it in 1432. The original outer frame was very fancy. It was destroyed during the Reformation. This was a time of big changes in religion. Some people think the frame might have had parts that moved or even played music!

The Stolen Panel

One of the lower left panels is called The Just Judges. This panel was stolen in 1934. The original panel has never been found. A copy was made in 1945 by Jef Vanderveken to replace it.

When the altarpiece is fully opened, it is very large. It measures about 11 feet tall and 15 feet wide (3.5 by 4.6 metres).

Images for kids

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  View of Utrecht Cathedral from the central inner panel

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  Choir of Angels

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  Angels playing string and wind instruments

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  Detail of the lead Angel

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  The central Adoration of the Mystic Lamb panel. It shows groups of figures gathering to worship.

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  A group of women gathering to worship Christ

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  The fountain of life.

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  Three figures to the right of the fountain.

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  Detail of the prophet Micah

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  Detail showing the Erythraean Sibyl

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  Detail showing the Cumaean Sibyl

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  The Archangel Gabriel in Jan van Eyck's Annunciation

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  Philip the Good presented with a History of Hainault.

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  The Ghent Altarpiece being recovered from a salt mine after World War II.

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  The Lamb of God, before and after restoration.

See also

In Spanish: Políptico de Gante para niños