Dr. Laurinda Dixon

The magnificent Ghent Altarpiece, which consists of many individual panels hinged together, bears the first reference to Jan van Eyck, along with his older brother Hubert. Distinctive in its large scale, complex symbolism, photographic realism, and use of oil paint, this work inspired artists worldwide for centuries. Art historians still debate the division of hands between the two van Eyck brothers and the fine points of its complex iconography.