Conservation is a wonderful profession because it combines so many things: art history and science, tangibility and chemistry. Thanks to today's technology, we are revealing The Ghent Altarpiece as it originally appeared in the 15th century – and that's a magical experience when you experience it right up close.
The invisible new structure of St Bavo’s Cathedral
My visiting card says ‘Senior Project Manager’ at Bressers Architecten, but it might as well have been ‘site manager’ or ‘full-time meeting participant’. The construction of the visitor centre inside St Bavo's Cathedral cost us a lot of time and effort — but it was well worthwhile for such a masterpiece.
A Burgundian, yet sustainable lifestyle: it’s possible
The epicureans among us can enjoy good food without having to give up on their social and environmental awareness. In Ghent, we have been demonstrating for years that even the most Burgundian food culture can be based on sustainable values: local, zero waste, vegetable.
Ghent’s street art scene is a fascinating melting pot
Ghent owes its flourishing street art scene to generations of artists rebelliously doing their thing, often in empty properties. Today, Ghent’s legal graffiti circuit is also alive and kicking, allowing every type of artist to seize their opportunity.
Whenever I read about Belgium as a tourist destination, Bruges is always prominently mentioned. Unjustly, I discovered, because Ghent has just as much culture, heritage and atmosphere to offer and also benefits from its calmer underdog position. Report of my first, but definitely not my last, visit to the city.
The conservator Kathleen Froyen has been working full-time on The Ghent Altarpiece since 2018. She coordinates the conservation studio at the Museum of Fine Arts and sits on many steering committees and advisory committees, but most of all, she enjoys getting behind the microscope herself to do some real work: the conservation of Van Eyck's magnum opus.
Jan Dumolyn is professor of medieval history at Ghent University. As co-curator of Van Eyck — An optical revolution he re-examined the historical sources relating to the Van Eyck brothers. That was high time, because (too) many myths and half truths about the Ghent Altarpiece are endlessly repeated.
