Fact Finder - Arts and Literature

Jan and Hubert van Eyck's 'Adoration of the Mystic Lamb' (1432), commonly known as the Ghent Altarpiece, is arguably the most influential painting in history due to its early mastery of oil paint. It is also the most stolen artwork in history, having been looted 13 times over 600 years. It was nearly destroyed by fire, stolen by Napoleon, and taken by the Nazis during WWII, who hid it in an Austrian salt mine. One of its twelve panels, 'The Just Judges,' was stolen in 1934 and has never been found; a modern copy stands in its place today. The altarpiece is famous for its microscopic detail—botanists have identified over 40 species of plants in the painting—and its vibrant colors, which remain remarkably bright centuries after they were applied.