Open Legends
The Just Judges Panel
Stolen 1934 · Ghent, Belgium
UnsolvedThe prize. A stolen masterpiece, never found
Where. Ghent, Belgium
Status. Unsolved
Where. Ghent, Belgium
Status. Unsolved
The account
One panel of the great Ghent Altarpiece was stolen in 1934 and never returned, and clues in a dying thief's letters still send searchers digging around the city.
Leads, where the trail points now
- The lower-left panel of the Ghent Altarpiece was stolen in 1934; the prime suspect, Arsene Goedertier, died soon after leaving notes implying it was hidden where it could not be moved without notice.
- The leading search theories focus on Ghent itself, around Saint Bavo's Cathedral and public spots in the city, several probed with ground-penetrating radar.
- The ransom letters and Goedertier's papers are the documentary trail; the panel on display today is a copy.
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