Restauratie-revelatie: de buitenluiken van het Lam Gods = Restauration-révélation : les volets extérieurs de l'Agneau mystique = Restoration-revelation : the exterior wings of the Ghent Altarpiece

Abstract

In 2012 the restorers of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA, Brussels) started treatment of the Ghent Altarpiece by the Van Eyck brothers. No one expected this restoration to turn into a revelation: the real Van Eyck proved to have been hidden underneath overpaint for centuries! The temporary exhibition restoration/revelation brings the tale of this spectacular intervention. An exploration journey through the old varnishes and overpaint leading to the original work of Van Eyck. Unique images from before, during and after restoration address all your questions: how did the restorers proceed? What scientific techniques did they use to confirm their observations or discover new elements? And most of all: in what way did the overpaint transform the art work and what does it look like now? The catalogue to the exhibition gives a good overview of the restoration project and process. -- Exhibition: Caermersklooster Provincial Cultural Centre, Ghent, Belgium (12.10.2016-28.05.2017)