For the past 56 years, Maximiliaan Martens has been absolutely besotted by the work of Jan van Eyck. Seeing the Ghent Altarpiece, arguably van Eyck’s most famous piece, one cannot help but understand why.
The Altarpiece, stolen a grand total of six times, was not supposed to leave its home of St. Bavo’s cathedral following its return in 1945. Dr Martens, who has studied the work for over three decades, was instrumental in convincing them to lend some of the recently restored panels once more, for an exhibition “Van Eyck: An Optical Revolution”, opening on 1 February this year.
Then the pandemic hit.
The exhibition, with work included that “surpasses even the divine” according to the New York Times, shut on 13 March, just over a month after it opened. It was announced last week that the it will not reopen when the museum does.
Dr Martens, who co-curated the exhibition said that: “It felt terrible. My work was done, the selection, making the catalogue, you name it, but I feel very sorry for all those people who haven’t been able to see it.”
The exhibition is currently in possession of over 70 loaned objects, each of which comes with an individual contract. The decision not to extend the exhibition is in part due to this.
Acting general director of the museum, Cathérine Verleysen, said that: “We had to take everything into account: renegotiations of loans, new insurance policies, security assignments, et cetera. So we decided not to reopen and not to extend.”
Perhaps more importantly, the exhibition has over 140,000 tickets to refund. Dr Verleysen realises the logistical demands involved, noting that: “It’s like a big puzzle that was put together in a very careful way.” Taking it apart involves just as much thought and diligence.
When travel bans are eventually lifted, the pieces will return to their respective collections. Martens realises the gravity of the situation most of all: “This wasn’t just once in a lifetime. It was only once.”
