Since 2 May 2023, the upper panels of the interior of the Ghent Altarpiece are being restored at the Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) in Ghent. This is the third and final phase of the large-scale conservation-restoration campaign of the altarpiece of the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA).
Seven panels are being treated: the three central panels with the enthroned figures of the Virgin Mary, the Deity and John the Baptist, and four side panels with the Singing Angels and Music-making Angels and Adam and Eve.
In recent months, the KIK-IRPA team have been removing non-original varnishes and have carried out a thorough examination of the paint layers underneath. Currently, following the advice of the international commission of experts, they have started removing 16th-century overpaints. It is already evident that this third phase of the restoration, carried out under the eyes of the public at the MSK, will yield results as stunning as those of the previous phases, in which the exquisite details of the Van Eyck brothers' original paint layers were brought back to life. Phase 3 is likely to be completed by spring 2026.
The progressive removal of the thick, discolored varnish layers on the Adam and Eve panels has again revealed the extraordinary virtuosity of the Van Eyck brothers. The exceptionally fine details and subtle color nuances can now be fully admired, while the three-dimensionality of the figures becomes fully apparent. The nearly completed varnish removal on the press brocades of Mary, the Deity and John the Baptist already provides enormous gains at this stage of the treatment: the three monumental, central figures now stand out more sharply against the background and regain their volume and spatial presence. Moreover, the shimmer of the gold leaf can again be experienced and admired.
With the removal of the 16th-century overpaints on the singing and music-making angels and on the panels with John the Baptist, Mary and the Deity, the conservators recover the transparent layers, soft modulations and deep shadows so characteristic of the Van Eyck brothers. While uncovering the original paint layers of the cloaks on the central panels, which are heavily overpainted, the meticulous brushwork of the original folds is gradually revealed, and the original bright and intense colors resurface (Annex 7).
The removal of 16th-century overpaints will take many more months. The progress of the project is being followed closely by the international commission of experts (Annex 2). After overpaint removal, the conservator-restorers will meticulously retouch the old damages in the Van Eyck brothers' paint layers with reversible materials. At the end of the treatment, the seven panels will receive a new layer of varnish.
Main Image :Copyright KIK/IRPA
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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