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The strange history of the world's most stolen painting - Noah Charney

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TEDEd Animation

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Throughout six centuries, the Ghent Altarpiece, also called “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb,” has been burned, forged, and raided in three different wars. It is, in fact, the world’s most stolen artwork— and is considered one of the most influential paintings ever made. What exactly makes the piece so special? Noah Charney digs into Jan van Eyck’s masterpiece.

Around how many artworks were stolen by the Nazis and stored at the secret warehouse in the Alps?

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Noah Charney
  • Director Michael Kalopaidis, Alexia Roider, Gerta Xhelo
  • Narrator Jack Cutmore-Scott
  • Animator Maria Savva
  • Art Director Jeanne Bornet
  • Sound Designer Andreas Trachonitis
  • Producer Zedem Media, Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Script Editor Iseult Gillespie
  • Script Producer Cella Wright
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma

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