The Just Judges – The Missing Panel of the Ghent Altarpiece
The Just Judges (Dutch: De Rechtvaardige Rechters) is one of Europe’s most famous missing artworks. Once part of the Ghent Altarpiece by Hubert and Jan van Eyck, this panel was stolen in 1934 and never recovered.
The Theft
In the early morning of April 11, 1934, two panels of the Ghent Altarpiece, the “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb“, were stolen from St. Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent. One panel was later returned, but The Just Judges disappeared without a trace, shocking the art world and sparking decades of investigations.
On Wednesday, 11 April 1934, in St Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent, just before half past five in the morning, Oscar Van Bouchaute, one of the church’s under-sacristans, arrived to carry out his first task of the day… opening the church doors. When he went to do the same with the right-hand side entrance leading onto St Bavo’s Square, the door was pushed open at that very moment by an elderly woman – Marie De Vuyst – who attended Mass in the cathedral every day and lived in a room in a nearby convent of the “Grey Sisters” (“Filles de Charité” foundation).
Surprised, but without saying a word, Oscar Van Bouchaute watched how she had managed to open the door… (statement by Van Bouchaute dated 11.04.1934: “I then noticed that the latch of the lock was protruding from the casing”).
Full story of The Just Judges theft & case file analysis
Historical Context
The Ghent Altarpiece, completed in 1432, is a masterpiece of Northern Renaissance painting. The missing panel depicted a group of noble figures symbolizing justice and moral virtue — a gap that has never been fully bridged in the work.
Search and Theories
Over the years, investigators and scholars have proposed many scenarios: hidden by the thief, destroyed during war, or kept in a private collection. Each theory has prompted books, documentaries, and lively debate.
Legacy & Visiting
Today a reproduction by Belgian artist Jef Van der Veken fills the empty space at St. Bavo’s Cathedral, yet the mystery continues to capture imaginations worldwide. Visit the Ghent Altarpiece to see the masterpiece and learn its story.
Discover more about The Just Judges
Ghent Altarpiece stolen panel – The Just Judges theft 1934 – Adoration of the Mystic Lamb – Missing panel Van Eyck – Where are the Just Judges? – Arsène Goedertier confession stolen altarpiece – Ghent Altarpiece mystery – Righteous Judges – Mystery of the Van Eyck masterpiece
The story of the Just Judges is more than a theft. It is a legend, an unresolved mystery, and a symbol of hope that one day, the lost panel of the Ghent Altarpiece will be found.