Definition

Noun: A large, often elaborate work of art, such as a painting or sculpture, that is placed on, above, or behind an altar in a Christian church. It serves as a focal point for worship and devotion.

Usage

The word "altarpiece" is a specific art-historical and religious term. It is used to describe the central artistic feature of an altar's setting. * It is typically a single, countable noun (e.g., an altarpiece, the altarpiece, several altarpieces). * It refers to the complete artwork, which can be composed of multiple panels (e.g., a triptych).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The magnificent Gothic altarpiece in the cathedral took over twenty years to complete.
  • Art historians traveled to study the newly restored 15th-century altarpiece.
  • The museum's collection includes a small wooden altarpiece from the Renaissance period.

Advanced Usage

• "To be the central panel of an altarpiece": Refers to the main, most important section of a multi-paneled altarpiece.
  • The depiction of the Crucifixion was the central panel of the altarpiece.

Variants and Related Words

• Reredos (n): A synonym often used interchangeably with "altarpiece," though it can more specifically refer to an ornamental screen covering the wall behind an altar.
• Retable (n): A raised shelf or frame on an altar, often holding an altarpiece or other ornaments.
• Triptych (n): An altarpiece consisting of three panels that are hinged together.
• Polyptych (n): An altarpiece consisting of more than three panels.

Synonyms

• Reredos: An ornamental screen or decoration behind an altar.
• Retable: A structure forming the back of an altar.

Related Phrases and Terms

• Altar screen: A general term for a decorative screen at the back of an altar, which can include an altarpiece.
• To commission an altarpiece: To formally order and pay for the creation of an altarpiece.
  • The wealthy merchant family commissioned a new altarpiece for the local chapel.

Noun

1. a painted or carved screen placed above and behind an altar or communion table