Ghent Altarpiece
Writing in 1933, art historian Bryson Burroughs, who at that time attributed to Hubert the "Crucifixion and Last Judgement diptych", describing him as "the fountainhead of northern painting", suggests he did the underdrawing for the "Ghent Altarpiece" with Jan painting in after his brother's death; some form of this view remains common among specialists. Modern scientific investigation reveals various changes between the finished work and the lower painted levels and the underdrawing. Today the inscription is often regarded as an overgenerous fraternal tribute. Given the circumstances, the Ghent Altarpiece is a difficult work to use for comparison when assessing other attributions, especially as several other artists from the brothers' workshops probably worked on it as well.