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viewers. These panels were censored in 1781 and replaced by exact copies, on which bearskins were painted, to cover up the naughty bits. Between the Adam and Eve panels we see a heavenly choir singing to the left, and playing instruments to the right.
    The unusual iconography of the tiled floor beneath the angels requires special examination. Beneath the musicians the minutely painted majolica tiles, which at the time would have been imported to Flanders from Valencia, are inscribed with “IECVC,” an approximation of the name Jesus,
likely chosen for its proximity to an abbreviated signature of the painter (in Latin, Ioannes de Eyck). Also in the puzzle of the intricate green-and-white tiles on the floor beneath the angelic choir, we can see a lamb with a flag. Another seemingly enigmatic cluster of letters, in yet another of the painted tiles, reads “AGLA.” This is a Latin abbreviation for the Hebrew atta gibbor le’olam Adonai , “Thou art strong unto eternity, O Lord of Hosts.”

    The original Adam and Eve panels, which so offended Emperor Joseph II that they were censored and eventually replaced by Victorian copies, in which bearskin covers were painted over the naked bodies

    The tiled floor of the Angelic Choir panel

    The Christogram, hidden in the tiles of the Angelic Choir panel
    Also inscribed into the tiles is the so-called Christogram, the coat of arms of Christ. This symbol was promoted by van Eyck’s contemporary, Saint Bernardino of Siena, in an effort to rally squabbling families and political groups, particularly the rival Guelphs and Ghibellines, under the united battle flag of Catholicism. That van Eyck (or van Eyck and the theologian /designer) should incorporate a symbol that was at the heart of contemporary Italian politics shows a remarkable level of erudition and awareness of current events. Yet the subtlety of it (it is difficult to see even up close and with a magnifying glass) makes it more of a personal reference than anything else. This level of detail would only have been seen by a small group of peers and friends of the artist and the commissioner—those given access to peruse the painting at leisure, rather than the
majority, who would see it only in a formal setting and at impersonal distance. Van Eyck was part of a rich tradition of artists who buried references that few could find, let alone recognize.

    Panels displaying the Holy Hermits (left) and Holy Pilgrims (right) processing towards the Mystic Lamb in the central panel
    In the two panels on the bottom register to the right of the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, a group of figures approach the meadow to pay homage to the Lamb of God. These figures are identified by inscriptions on the frames that surround them: Heremite Sancti (“the Holy Hermits”) and Peregrini Sancti (“the Holy Pilgrims”). In the first of these two panels,
the Holy Hermits are led by Saint Anthony, identified by his T-shaped walking stick. It is probable that the local hermit and namesake of the cathedral, Saint Bavo himself, is depicted among the Holy Hermits, though he has yet to be identified. Two female hermits may be seen among the bearded men, one of whom is Saint Mary Magdalen, carrying her hagiographic icon, a jar of ointment. The Holy Pilgrims, in the panel to the farthest right, are led by the giant Saint Christopher, patron saint of travelers. Behind him walks Saint James (Santiago di Compostela), patron saint of pilgrims, identified by the scallop shell in his hat.
    Although easy to overlook, the vegetation in the background of these two panels, particularly the cypress and palm trees, would have seemed exotic to Flemish viewers. These warm-weather plants were painted with such botanical detail that scholars have assumed that van Eyck must have seen the trees during his travels. A voyage to Portugal could account for the astonishing naturalism of his tropical plants and craggy, desert landscapes. The more tantalizing possibility is that