The official book that accompanies the blockbuster exhibition in Ghent

Flemish painter Jan Van Eyck (c. 1390–1441) towered above his contemporaries. With his unprecedented technique, scientific knowledge and unparalleled powers of observation, Van Eyck lifted oil painting to previously unseen heights and helped determine the course of Western art. In Spring 2020 the Museum of Fine Arts Ghent, Belgium hosted the largest ever exhibition of Van Eyck’s work. An Optical Revolution included artworks by Van Eyck, several pieces from his studio and international masterpieces from the late Middle Ages, which made the world of Van Eyck more tangible than ever. Central to the exhibition were the eight restored exterior panels of the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, a highly exceptional loan from St Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent. After the exhibition the panels were returned to their original place in the cathedral and will never again be shown elsewhere.

This tie-in exhibition catalogue unravels some of the myths that surround Van Eyck and his technique while showing his complete oeuvre and his influence in a new perspective. With essays by leading experts from around the world, this book is an indispensable resource for Van Eyck fans and scholars alike.

Maximiliaan Martens is a professor of art history at Ghent University.

Till-Holger Borchert is a German art historian and writer specialising in 14th- and 15th-century art. He has been artistic director of the Municipal Museums in Bruges since 2014.

Jan Dumolyn is a Belgian historian and professor at Ghent University.