Altarpiece

Altarpiece, painting, sculpture, or other work, usually including a representation of a religious personage or event, placed either on or behind an altar in a Christian church. An altarpiece that rises from ground level behind the altar is called a reredos; one that is placed on the altar or on a pedestal behind it is called a retable. Some altars have both.

Altarpieces seem to have first appeared in about the 10th century, following an important change in liturgical practice. Up to the 9th century it was usual for the priest celebrating the Mass to stand behind the altar facing the congregation; after this, however, the priest stood in front of the altar with his back to the congregation. When the priest stood behind the altar, nothing could be placed on it that would obscure him, but when he stood in front, it could be adorned with a painting or other suitable decoration. The practice of placing a cross and candlesticks on the altar originated at about the same time as the altarpiece.

Altarpieces have taken many different forms, varying from small, portable paintings (designed to be taken on travels) to huge structures that are part of the fabric of the building in which they are set. Few early altarpieces have survived, partly because they were sometimes made of precious materials and therefore subject to looting. However, parts of the famous Pala d'Oro (Golden Altarpiece) in St Mark's, Venice, date from the 10th century. The altarpiece incorporates precious stones as well as much goldwork.

During the Italian Renaissance altarpieces were most usually paintings. Many of the celebrated masterpieces from this period in the world's great galleries were originally altarpieces; an example is the Baptism of Christ by Piero della Francesca in the National Gallery, London, which the artist painted for a church in his home town of Borgo San Sepolcro. From about the 16th century, however, it became more common to integrate the main altarpiece of a church into the architecture of the building. The most complex examples are in Spain and the German-speaking countries and date from the 17th and 18th centuries. They blend architecture, sculpture, and painting into spectacular ensembles, often occupying the whole east wall of the church. Altarpieces have continued to be made in the 20th century, a famous example being Christ in Majesty, the enormous tapestry by Graham Sutherland, in Coventry Cathedral.