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altarpiece |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.05 sec. |
altarpiecePainting, relief, sculpture, screen, or decorated wall standing on or behind an altar in a Christian church. The images depict holy personages, saints, and biblical subjects. There are two types of altarpieces: the reredos, which rises from the floor behind the altar, and the retable, which stands on the altar itself or on a pedestal behind it. The diptych is an altarpiece consisting of two panels; a triptych, three panels; and a polyptych, four or more panels. Altarpieces vary in size; some are small and portable, some are huge and stationary, and some have movable wings that can be opened and closed. The practice of erecting sculptural altarpieces dates from the 11th century; altar paintings became common in the 14th century. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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? Mentioned in | ? References in periodicals archive | |
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Pay attention
to the way the frames of the altarpieces are incorporated into the
design. ``Lords of Creation: The Origins of Sacred Maya
Kingship,'' at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, displays
rarely seen works, from precious jewels to large altarpieces, that
reflect the divine status of mortal kings thousands of years ago in
southern Mexico and Central America. One
of his most significant innovations was the use of a simple rectangular
format for altarpieces, more adaptable to the creation of
three-dimensional space than the traditional polyptych format. |
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altarpieces
