Saving Van Eyck: the very first article in the very first APOLLO, in January 1925, was an account by Paul Lambotte, director of fine arts for Belgium, of the removal of Van Eyck's Adoration of the Mystic Lamb altarpiece from St Bavon in Ghent by the cathedral's clergy and its concealment from the occupying German forces

Apollo, Jan, 2005 by Paul Lambotte

When war broke out and the Germans violated Belgian soil, those who were in charge of this altarpiece apprehended well the risks it was about to run. The wicked destruction of the library at Louvain, and the systematic looting of works of Art at Malines by German officers, well foreboded the destruction or theft of this superb masterpiece. Its fame would be a special attraction to the military robbers, who would have dispatched it at once to Berlin to be joined to the panels already possessed by the Kaiser Friedrich Museum.

Happily Canon Van den Gheyn was well on his guard. An archaeologist and historian, he was the right man at that moment to be the custodian of the Cathedral's treasures. He went to the Bishop and to the Burgomaster of Ghent to decide with them what had best to be done, but both were full of hesitation and dared not give any definite instruction. The Canon's idea was to remove the work secretly and to hide it away as cleverly as possible until the war was over, but no one appeared willing to take a leading hand--fear of German retaliation if the deception were discovered was the strong deterrent. Happily M. Van den Heuvel, a Minister of State, who resided in Ghent, was consulted by the Canon some days before the entry of the German troops, and he at once insisted that the precious work should be hidden away as speedily as possible.

Fortunately it happened that a few years before the war the work had been photographed by a well-known German firm. For this purpose the panels had been taken out, the light in the small Veydt Chapel being insufficient. The Canon and his assistants consequently knew from the experience they had how best to manage the dismantling, and the opportunity was seized one day during the lunch hour, when the cathedral was closed, to quickly take down the precious work and convey it to the Bishop's Palace, which was connected with the cathedral ... From the Bishop's Palace the four large panels had to be transported to the chosen hiding-places, which, besides being secret, had to be dry and well ventilated ... After arduous searching a place was discovered, but certain alterations had to be effected, and these were carried out with the greatest secrecy, and at night ...

Canon Van den Gheyn, with calm heroism, was ready to refuse all information. He would have endured martyrdom rather than disclose the secret. It was wise, however, to anticipate every eventuality, and he and M. Van den Heuvel agreed that it would be best to be ready with some document which would persuade the Germans that the great panels were out of their reach and in safety abroad ... With this document in his possession, formally signed and officially stamped, the courageous Canon felt everything was well, and calmly awaited events.