Stealing the Mystic Lamb: The True Story of the World's Most Coveted MasterpieceJan van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece is on any art historian's list of the ten most important paintings ever made. Often referred to by the subject of its central panel, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, it represents the fulcrum between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It is also the most frequently stolen artwork of all time. Since its completion in 1432, this twelve-panel oil painting has been looted in three different wars, burned, dismembered, forged, smuggled, illegally sold, censored, hidden, attacked by iconoclasts, hunted by the Nazis and Napoleon, used as a diplomatic tool, ransomed, rescued by Austrian double-agents, and stolen a total of thirteen times. In this fast-paced, real-life thriller, art historian Noah Charney unravels the stories of each of these thefts. In the process, he illuminates the whole fascinating history of art crime, and the psychological, ideological, religious, political, and social motivations that have led many men to covet this one masterpiece above all others. |
Contents
1 | 1 |
2 | 39 |
3 | 67 |
4 | 79 |
5 | 103 |
6 | 117 |
7 | 143 |
8 | 189 |
Epilogue | 285 |
Acknolwedgments | 289 |
Notes on Sources | 291 |
| 295 | |
Illustrations Credits | 301 |
| 303 | |
About the Author | 319 |
9 | 261 |
Other editions - View all
Stealing the Mystic Lamb: The True Story of the World's Most Coveted Masterpiece Noah Charney No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
Adoration ofthe Mystic Aercus Allied altar Arma Christi Arsène Goedertier art historians art looting artists artworks Aussee Austrian began Belgian Belgium Berlin Bernauw bishop Bruges Brussels Bunjes Canon Catholic central panels century chapel church city of Ghent collection Commission confiscated copy Count of Flanders crates crime cultural Denon diocese display Eigruber Eyck’s Flanders Flemish France French Gaiswinkler Gaiswinkler’s Gallery German Ghent Altarpiece Gheyn Goebbels Goedertier’s Göring Grafl hidden Hitler Hubert van Eyck Italian Jan van Eyck Kaiser Friedrich Museum Köhn letter Linz looted art Louvre masterpieces MFAA mine’s miners monuments Museum Napoleon Nazi Nazi art Nieuwenhuys officer ofits ofthe Mystic Lamb oil painting painter Paris plunder Pöchmüller police Portrait Posey and Kirstein protection ransom Renaissance Righteous Judges Saint Bavo Cathedral Saint John scholars sculpture secret stolen art story symbol theft Third Army tion treasures Treaty Treaty of Versailles Veken Vijd wing panels