The Ghent Altarpiece, as never before

The altarpiece was the first prominent oil painting and a precursor of realism. New photos available online make seeing it a whole new experience.

It's none too easy to get a close-up view of one of history's greatest paintings. The Ghent Altarpiece, painted in the 15th century by Jan Van Eyck and his brother Hubert, is usually encased in a glass-and-steel, humidity-controlled box in a chapel at St. Bavo's Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. Most pilgrims can get within only about three feet of the 12-paneled masterpiece.

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