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Altarpiece

tions in the form of a rectangular panel decorated with


series of saints in rows, with a central more pronounced
gure such as a depiction of Mary or Christ. An elabo-
rate example of such an early altarpiece is the Pala d'Oro
in Venice. The appearance and development of these rst
altarpieces marked an important turning point both in the
history of Christian art and Christian religious practice.[5]
As pointed out in the Grove Encyclopedia of Medieval Art
and Architecture, The advent of the altarpiece marks a
signicant development not only in the history of the al-
tar, but also in the nature and function of the Christian
image. The autonomous image now assumed a legitimate
position at the centre of Christian worship.[5]

The Ghent Altarpiece (1432) by Hubert and Jan van Eyck. Con-
sidered one of the masterpieces of Northern Renaissance art, a 1.2 The emergence of panel painting
complex polyptych panel painting, which lost its elaborate frame-
work in the Reformation

An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture


or relief representing a religious subject made for plac-
ing behind the altar of a Christian church.[1][2][3] Though
most commonly used for a single work of art such as a
painting or sculpture, or a set of them, the word can also
be used of the whole ensemble behind an altar, otherwise
known as a reredos, including what is often an elaborate
frame for the central image or images. Altarpieces were
one of the most important products of Christian art espe-
cially from the late Middle Ages to the era of the Counter-
Reformation.[4]
Vigoroso da Siena's altarpiece from 1291, an example of an
Large number of altarpieces are now removed from their early painted panel altarpiece, with the individual parts framed
church settings, and often their elaborate sculpted frame- by gables and sculptured elements
works, and displayed as more simply framed paintings in
museums and other places. Painted panel altars emerged in Italy during the 13th
century.[6] In the 13th century, it is not uncommon to nd
frescoed or mural altarpieces in Italy: mural paintings
behind the altar function as visual complements for the
1 History liturgy.[7] These altarpieces were inuenced by Byzantine
art, notably icons, which reached Western Europe in
1.1 Origins and early development greater numbers following the conquest of Constantino-
ple in 1204. During this time, altarpieces occasionally be-
Altarpieces seem to have begun to be used during the gan to be decorated with an outer, sculptured or gabled
11th century, with the possible exception of a few earlier structure with the purpose of providing a frame for in-
examples. The reasons and forces that led to the devel- dividual parts of the altarpiece. Vigoroso da Siena's al-
opment of altarpieces are not generally agreed upon. The tarpiece from 1291 (pictured) display such an altarpiece.
habit of placing decorated reliquaries of saints on or be- This treatment of the altarpiece would eventually pave
hind the altar, as well as the tradition of decorating the the way for the emergence, in the 14th century, of the
front of the altar with sculptures or textiles, preceded the polyptych.[5]
rst altarpieces.[5] The sculpted elements in the emerging polyptychs often
Many early altarpieces were relatively simple composi- took inspiration from contemporary Gothic architecture.

1
2 1 HISTORY

In Italy, they were still typically executed in wood and altarpieces where the polyptych was gradually abandoned
painted, while in northern Europe altarpieces were often in favour of single-panel, painted altarpieces.[5] In Italy,
made of stone.[5] during the Renaissance, free-standing groups of sculp-
[6]
The early 14th century saw the emergence, in Germany, ture also began to feature as altarpieces. In Spain, al-
the Netherlands, Scandinavia, the Baltic region and the tarpieces developed in a highly original fashion into often
Catholic parts of Eastern Europe, of the winged altar- very large, architecturally inuenced reredos, [6]
sometimes
piece.[5][6][8]
By hinging the outer panels to the central as tall as the church in which it was housed.
panel and painting them on both sides, the motif could be In the north of Europe, the Protestant Reformation
regulated by opening or closing the wings. The pictures from the early 16th century onwards led to a swift de-
could thus be changed depending on liturgical demands. cline in the number of altarpieces produced.[9] Outbursts
The earliest often displayed sculptures on the inner pan- of iconoclasm locally led to the destruction of many
els, i.e. displayed when open, and paintings on the back of altarpieces.[10] As an example, during the burning of the
the wings, displayed when closed.[5][6] With the advent of Antwerp Cathedral in the course of the Reformation in
winged altarpieces, a shift in imagery also occurred. In- 1533, more than fty altarpieces were destroyed.[8] The
stead of being centred on a single holy gure, altarpieces Reformation in itself also promoted a new way of view-
began to portray more complex narratives linked to the ing religious art. Certain motifs, such as the Last Sup-
Christian concept of salvation.[6] per, were preferred before others. The Reformation re-
garded the Word of God that is, the gospel as cen-
tral to Christendom, and Protestant altarpieces often dis-
1.3 Late Middle Ages and Renaissance played the actual words from the bible, sometimes at the
expense of pictures. With time, Protestant though gave
birth to the so-called pulpit altar, or Kanzelaltar in Ger-
man, in which the altarpiece and the pulpit are combined,
thus making the altarpiece quite literally the abode of the
Word of God.[9]

1.4 Later developments

The Altarpiece of the Holy Blood, by Tilman Riemenschnei- Canvas painting started to replace other types of altar-
der (15011505). An example of an altarpiece with a central, pieces during the mid-16th century and onwards.[4] The
sculpted section and relief wings. Middle Ages was the heyday of the production and use
of altarpieces. While many of these remain today, the
As the Middle Ages progressed, altarpieces began to be majority have been lost. Scholars estimated that be-
commissioned more frequently. In Northern Europe, ini- fore World War II there were more than 3,000 altar-
tially Lbeck and later Antwerp would develop into veri- pieces in the territory of the Third Reich; as a com-
table export centres for the production of altarpieces, ex- parison, it has been calculated that in 1520 there were
porting to Scandinavia, Spain and northern France.[8] By roughly 2,000 winged altarpieces only in the churches of
the 15th century, altarpieces were often commissioned the Austrian state of Tyrol.[8] Many were lost during the
not only by churches but also by individuals, families, Reformation (in the north of Europe) or replaced with
guilds and confraternities. The 15th century saw the birth Baroque altarpieces during the Counter-Reformation (in
of Early Netherlandish painting in the Low Countries; the southern part of Europe), or else were discarded
henceforth panel painting would dominate altarpiece pro- during the Enlightenment or replaced with Neo-Gothic
duction in the area. In Germany, sculpted wooden altar- ones during the 19th century. In the German-speaking
pieces were instead generally preferred, while in England part of Europe, only a single altarpiece made for the
alabaster was used to a large extent. In England, as well high altar of a cathedral has been preserved (in the Chur
as in France, stone retables enjoyed general popularity. Cathedral, Switzerland).[8] In the eighteenth century al-
In Italy both stone retables and wooden polyptychs were tarpieces, such as Piero della Francesca's polyptych of
common, with individual painted panels and often (no- Saint Augustine, were often disassembled and seen as in-
tably in Venice and Bologna) with complex framing in dependent artworks. The dierent panels of the polyp-
the form of architectural compositions. The 15th cen- tych of St Augustine are thus today spread out among
tury also saw a development of the composition of Italian several dierent art museums.[11]
3

2 Types of altarpieces the Kefermarkt Altarpiece (149097) by an un-


known artist (Kefermarkt)
The usage and treatment of altarpieces were never for- the Isenheim Altarpiece (1516) by Matthias
malised by the Catholic Church, and therefore their Grnewald (Unterlinden Museum, Colmar)
appearance can vary signicantly.[5] Occasionally, the
demarcation between what constitutes the altarpiece the Assumption of the Virgin (1516-1518) by Titian
and what constitutes other forms of decoration can be (Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice)
unclear.[5] Altarpieces can still broadly be divided into
two types, the reredos, which signies a large and of-
ten complex wooden or stone altarpiece, and the retable, 4 See also
an altarpiece with panels either painted or with reliefs.[4]
Retables are placed directly on the altar or on a surface Reredos
behind it; a reredos typically rises from the oor.[4]
Retablo
Retable-type altarpieces are often made up of two or
more separate panels created using a technique known
as panel painting. The panels can also display reliefs or
sculpture in the round, either polychrome or un-painted.
5 References
It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,
[1] Altarpiece. Catholic Encyclopedia. New Advent. Re-
three, and multiple panels respectively. In the thirteenth
trieved 20 July 2014.
century each panel was usually surmounted with a pin-
nacle, but during the Renaissance, single panel, or pala, [2] altarpiece. Encyclopdia Britannica. Retrieved 20 July
altarpieces became the norm. In both cases the support- 2014.
ing plinth, or predella often featured supplementary and [3] altarpiece. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
related paintings.
[4] Collins, Neil. Altarpiece Art (c.1000-1700)". visual-
If the altar stands free in the choir, both sides of the altar- arts-cork.com. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
piece can be covered with painting. The screen, retable
or reredos are commonly decorated. Groups of statu- [5] Hourihane (ed.), Colum (2012). The Grove Encyclopedia
ary can also be placed on an altar.[5] A single church of Medieval Art and Architecture, Volume 1. Oxford Uni-
can furthermore house several altarpieces on side-altars versity Press. pp. 4448. ISBN 0-19-539536-0.
in chapels. Sometimes the altarpiece is set on the altar [6] DeGreve, Daniel P. (2010). Retro Tablum: The Origins
itself and sometimes in front of it. and Role of the Altarpiece in the Liturgy (PDF). Journal
of the Institute for Sacred Architecture. Institute for Sacred
Much smaller private altarpieces, often portable, were
Architecture (17): 1218. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
made for wealthy individuals to use at home, often as
folding diptychs or triptychs for safe transport. In the [7] Pter Bokody, Mural Painting as a Medium: Technique,
Middle Ages very small diptychs or triptychs carved in Representation and Liturgy, in Image and Christianity:
ivory or other materials were popular. Visual Media in the Middle Ages, ed. Pter Bokody
(Pannonhalma: Pannonhalma Abbey, 2014), 136-151.
https://www.academia.edu/8526688/Mural_Painting_
as_a_Medium_Technique_Representation_and_Liturgy
3 Notable examples
[8] Kahsnitz, Rainer (2006). Carved Splendor: late gothic al-
tarpieces in Southern Germany, Austria, and South Tirol.
the Pala d'Oro, in Byzantine style (St Marks Basil-
Getty Publications. pp. 939. ISBN 978-0-89236-853-2.
ica, Venice)
[9] Campbell, Gordon (ed.) (2009). The Grove Encyclopedia
the Maest altarpiece (1308-1311) by Duccio (Siena of Northern Renaissance Art. 1. Oxford University Press.
Cathedral, Siena) pp. 3233. ISBN 978-0-19-533466-1.
the Mrode Altarpiece (1425-1428) by Robert [10] Chipps Smith, Jerey (2004). The Northern Renaissance.
Campin (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Phaidon Press. pp. 351380. ISBN 978-0-7148-3867-0.
City)
[11] Saint Michael completed 1469, Piero della Francesca.
the Ghent Altarpiece (1432) by Hubert and Jan van The National Gallery. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
Eyck (St Bavos Cathedral, Ghent)
the St. Wolfgang Altarpiece (1481) by Michael
Pacher (Church of St. Wolfgang, St. Wolfgang im 6 External links
Salzkammergut)
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/
the Altarpiece of Veit Stoss (1489) by Veit Stoss (St. anatomy-of-an-altarpiece
Marys Basilica, Krakw)
4 7 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

7 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses


7.1 Text
Altarpiece Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altarpiece?oldid=775434420 Contributors: Ellywa, Disdero, Wik, Robbot, Tom harri-
son, Archie, Matthead, Gary D, Klemen Kocjancic, Jayjg, Rich Farmbrough, Paul August, Stbalbach, Cedders, Man vyi, Ghirlandajo,
Dienstag, Woohookitty, Vegaswikian, Kresspahl, RobotE, Igin, Tyrenius, SmackBot, Eskimbot, Wlos~enwiki, Chlewbot, Ceoil, Mr
Stephen, Meco, Thijs!bot, JAnDbot, Johnbod, BluePuddle, JhsBot, Chantepleure, Aberpram~enwiki, BotMultichill, ClueBot, M.O.X, Ad-
dbot, Legobot, Piano non troppo, LilHelpa, Caceo, Mattis, Cajackson2009, Nick Moyes, Jbribeiro1, Carlstak, Rococo1700, Llann W,
Yakikaki, JosepBC, Trackteur, Fist Coltaine, Bender the Bot and Anonymous: 14

7.2 Images
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: PD Contributors: ? Origi-
nal artist: ?
File:Lamgods_open.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Lamgods_open.jpg License: Public domain
Contributors: Web Gallery of Art: <a href='http://www.wga.hu/art/e/eyck_van/jan/09ghent/1open.jpg' data-x-rel='nofollow'><img
alt='Inkscape.svg' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Inkscape.svg/20px-Inkscape.svg.png' width='20'
height='20' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Inkscape.svg/30px-Inkscape.svg.png 1.5x, https://
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Inkscape.svg/40px-Inkscape.svg.png 2x' data-le-width='60' data-le-height='60'
/></a> Image <a href='http://www.wga.hu/html/e/eyck_van/jan/09ghent/1open.html' data-x-rel='nofollow'><img alt='Information
icon.svg' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/20px-Information_icon.svg.png'
width='20' height='20' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/30px-Information_
icon.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/40px-Information_icon.svg.png
2x' data-le-width='620' data-le-height='620' /></a> Info about artwork Original artist: Jan van Eyck
File:Rothenburg_BW_16.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Rothenburg_BW_16.JPG License: Pub-
lic domain Contributors: Own work Original artist: Berthold Werner
File:Vigoroso_da_siena1291_____.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.
org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Vigoroso_da_siena1291%D0%B3_%D0%B8%D0%B7_%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%
D0%B5%D1%80%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%BC%D0%
BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%80%D1%8F_%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%B4%
D0%B6%D1%83%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%8F.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.gallerianazionaleumbria.it/
sale-1-4-pittura-e-scultura-del-xiii-e-xiv-secolo-2.html Original artist: Vigoroso da Siena

7.3 Content license


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