Restoring an old master is always a ticklish job. When Belgian authorities announced last fall that they were planning a major cleanup job on the 15th Century Adoration of the Lamb by the brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck, they drew a chorus of protests. The Lamb is Belgium's No. 1 art treasure. It had already suffered through 500 years of wars, fires, thefts* and the ministrations of countless well-meaning artist-restorers.
Last week Belgian art lovers could breathe easy. The restored Lamb, back in place in Ghent's Cathedral of St. Bavon, looked better than it had for centuries. Long-obscured flowers sprouted from...
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