3D glasses to see and fully understand the story of Catholicism created by the brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck almost 600 years ago, in the cathedral of Ghent with
The Adoration of the Mystical Lamb
.
That would be, as a tweet, the summary of the efforts of years in the Belgian city so that, when the pandemic allows it, the masterpiece in the form of a polyptych becomes an icon, such as the
Mona Lisa
for the Louvre, according to its promoters.
Last Tuesday, at the foot of the great altarpiece, 3.5 meters high, by 4.6 wide, its new location in the Cathedral of San Bavo was presented in telematic broadcasting, as well as the brand new visitor center, located in the crypt of the church, which will be the beginning of an augmented reality visit that will reveal the busy life of this piece.
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The
Altar of Ghent,
as it is also known, has been moved to the Chapel of the Sacrament in the cathedral.
A larger space than the one it had before, another chapel next to the entrance to the temple, which sometimes caused crowds.
This is explained by the number of visits per year that there were "before the pandemic": one million, explained the coordinator of the visitor project, Ben de Vriendt.
“Of these, 80% foreigners.
With the restrictions and without international tourists, now only 60 people can enter per hour, although we are going to study how much time they spend looking at the polyptych ".
This way it will be possible to decide whether to extend the quota.
De Briendt stressed that "before there was no visitor center, the new one will also maintain its function as a place of worship."
The entire operation - restoration work on the crypt and coronary chapels, the erection of the new volume of circulation, the new display case for the altarpiece and its air conditioning and the adaptation of the visitor center - has cost 30 million euros.
It will be in these new facilities where, as of March 29, 150 glasses will be made available to visitors that will allow a 3D vision.
Smart glasses, "Microsoft's HoloLens 2," he said.
The Cathedral of Saint Bavo, in Ghent, with its tower.
The presentation was accompanied by two videos, in one of which the city was promoted, with its artisan products, including a cheese called Van Eyck, made as in the artist's time and which is eaten up to the crust.
All wrapped up in a slogan: "Oh my God, Van Eyck was here!"
The other video addressed the restoration of the polyptych, which was released in 2020, not without controversy over the new, bulging eyes and puckered mouth of the lamb, which made it eerily human.
This gave rise to the historian Peter Schmidt, author of a large study on the
Ghent Altar
, to conclude: “It is the one that the Van Eyck painted when it was presented in 1432. That face is like that because it is Jesus Christ who looks at us, it is Lamb of God, who has suffered for us ”.
Very soon, in the mid-sixteenth century, the work was repainted "by 70%, because they thought that the Lamb's anatomy was not correct."
Visitors will have glasses to see the altarpiece in augmented reality
Schmidt, who gave a short lesson in art history, stated that "the Van Eycks are at the pinnacle of painting and the first Flemish school, from the 15th century, had a worldwide influence on art."
The oak wood altarpiece was commissioned by the Ghent councilor Joos Vijd and his wife, Elisabeth Borluut, from the Van Eycks.
Therefore, donors are also realistically represented among the 18 tables.
As Hubert died in 1626, his brother Jan completed the work.
"It was a team effort, probably with more authors, belonging to his workshop," said Schmidt.
The adoration of the mystical Lamb,
a marvel in details, such as the fruit that Eve holds or the plants depicted, was created at a time when most of the parishioners were illiterate and the masses were celebrated in Latin, so it served as a visual account of the Bible.
The rector of the cathedral of Ghent, Ludo Collin, added that at the beginning the panels were almost always closed and only opened on special occasions, not like today, which are open.
'The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb', by Van Eyck, after its restoration in 2020 DOMINIQUE VROST
Stolen by Napoleon and Hitler
The fascination that this work generated was immediate.
Dürer, who lived on horseback between the 15th and 16th centuries, "already valued it," said the historian.
Then it became a diamond coveted by successive invading hordes.
The French took it to Paris in a chariot for Napoleon, until the Duke of Wellington returned it to its place.
The polyptych has witnessed fires, floods and robberies, such as the one in 1934, when the robbers took two tables, that of
The Just Judges
and
Juan Bautista.
The second recovered, the first is still missing.
In World War II, the Nazis moved him to Austria, but the defeat of Germany brought him back to Ghent by The Monuments Men, the allied command dedicated to recovering the looted.
"The worldwide reputation of the altarpiece dates back to 1950," added Schmidt.
The rector of the cathedral, almost moved, stressed the importance of the polyptych "being in its original place, not in a museum."
"It is a religious work and it has to be in context."
In 1934, some robbers took two boards, one was recovered but the other is still missing today
Philippe Depotter, head of the Bressers architecture studio, spoke about the spectacular frame that surrounds the polyptych, a steel box with bulletproof glass.
“This structure regulates the humidity and temperature of the
Altar.
You have to take into account that in winter inside the cathedral there are 2 degrees and you cannot allow the paint to be so cold ”.
At the end of the act, Schmidt was asked if some order should be followed in the contemplation of the panels.
"If you only have a few minutes, stand in front and let yourself be surprised, but if you have more time, follow a chronological order: Adam and Eve, the prophets, the liturgy of the Lamb ...".
In any case, what the Ghent authorities recommend to tourists is to add a good chocolate or a beer to the cultural visit.
Although perhaps that has more to do with worshiping the golden calf than the
mystical Lamb.