Optical illusions

A year-long Van Eyck celebration is underway in the Belgian city of Ghent. ELLIE FAZAN finds a weekend there helps put things into perspective...

Gazing eye-to-eye with the Mystic Lamb in a sublime and sombre experience. The soulful face – both human and sheeplike – and unyielding gaze of the Mystic Lamb draws viewers into Hubert and Jan van Eyck’s portrayal of the ultimate sacrifice. It’s a sublime encounter. In the dark stillness of St Bavo’s Cathedral the luminescent painting seems to glow from within. It’s here that in 2020 – as part of a year-long interactive OMG! Van Eyck was here exhibition taking over Ghent – the 12 panels of The Ghent Altarpiece (The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb) can be seen together for the first time since restoration.

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