Altarpiece

altarpiece, work of art that decorates the space above and behind the altar in a Christian church. Painting, relief, and sculpture in the round have all been used in altarpieces, either alone or in combination. These artworks usually depict holy personages, saints, and biblical subjects.

Several technical terms are associated with altarpieces. The predella is a low, decorated strip intended to raise the main part of the altarpiece to a height where it is readily visible from a distance. A diptych is an altarpiece consisting of two painted panels, a triptych has three panels, and a polyptych has four or more panels. A winged altarpiece is one equipped with movable wings that can be opened or closed over a fixed central part, thereby allowing various representations to be exposed to view. The term reredos is used for an ornamental screen or partition that is not directly attached to the altar table but is affixed to the wall behind it. The term retable simply refers to any ornamental panel behind an altar.

Grünewald, Matthias: Isenheim Altarpiece

The practice of erecting a structure above and behind the altar and adorning it with artworks extends back at least to the 11th century. Sculpture was the dominant element in the altarpieces of the late Middle Ages, especially in Germany. Altar paintings, by contrast, became common in northern Europe only in the 15th century. Among the most famous of them are The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, also known as the Ghent Altarpiece (1432; St. Bavo’s Cathedral, Ghent), a polyptych in 12 panels by Hubert and Jan van Eyck; and the Isenheim Altarpiece (1515), a winged altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald. Renaissance Italy, by contrast, favoured altarpieces consisting of single, monumental paintings in simple gilded frames.

The Baroque artists of the 17th century excelled in the creation of large stagelike altarpieces in which painting, sculpture, and florid ornament are dramatically merged. Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s altarpieces are noteworthy examples of this flamboyant tradition, which continued to flourish in Germany, Austria, Spain, and Spanish America well into the 18th century. Religious painting declined elsewhere in Europe during this time, however, and in the 19th century, in keeping with the use of various historical styles in church architecture, the design of altarpieces declined into pure eclecticism. Interesting attempts were made in the 20th century to revive the altarpiece, but the general tendency in modern church design has been to reintroduce the unadorned altar table. See also retable.