A winged altarpiece (also folding altar) or winged retable is a special form of altarpiece (reredos, occasionally retable), common in Northern and Central Europe, in which the central image, either a painting or relief sculpture (or some combination of the two) can be hidden by hinged wings. It is called a triptych if there are two wings, a pentaptych (but this is rarely used in English) if there are four, or a polyptych if there are four or more. The technical terms are derived from Ancient Greek: τρίς: trís or "triple"; πέντε: pénte or "five"; πολύς: polýs or "many"; and πτυχή: ptychē or "fold, layer".[1]
The twelve interior panels of the Ghent Altarpiece. This open view measures 11 ft × 15 ft (3.4 m × 4.6 m)Closed view of the Ghent AltarpieceKrakow High Altar by Veit Stoß: wings with reliefs and altar shrine with wood carvings
There are often images on both the insides and outsides of the wings, enabling the altarpiece to display completely different views when open and closed. It was usually the custom to keep the wings closed except on Sundays or feast days, although very often the sacristan would open them for tourists at any time for a modest tip. Small winged paintings, usually triptychs, were also owned by the wealthy for private devotions, and services in the house; they had the advantage that the open view was fairly well protected when covered up during travel.
The form was especially popular in the later Middle Ages, and during the Northern Renaissance. In the 17th century, Rubens was one of the last major painters to use it. It was never as popular in Italy, where there were many polyptychs, but usually built without hinges, so always "open", even if there were also images on the back, as in the Maestà by Duccio for Siena Cathedral.
Above the retable may be found the crowning or superstructure, pinnacles and flowers of the cross. Relics can be housed below it, in a reliquary in the predella lying on the altar stone.
The largest collection of medieval reredoses in Germany is to be found in St. Anne's Abbey, Lübeck, including the Passion Altarpiece by Hans Memling and the Schonen Altarpiece by Bernt Notke
1540 Gotha Altarpiece with 157 individual scenes, displayed in the Ducal Museum in Gotha
Herbert Schindler: The Schnitzaltar. Meisterwerke und Meister in Süddeutschland, Österreich und Südtirol. Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 1978. ISBN3-7917-0754-X
Karl-Werner Bachmann, Géza Jászai, Friedrich Kobler, Catheline Périer-D'Ieteren, Barbara Rommé, Norbert Wolf: Flügelretabel, in: Reallexikon zur Deutschen Kunstgeschichte, Vol. 9, 2003, ISBN3-406-14009-2, cols. 1450–1536.
^Wilhelm Gemoll (1965), Griechisch-Deutsches Schul- und Handwörterbuch (in German), München/Wien: G. Freytag Verlag/Hölder-Pichler-Tempsky
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Winged altars.
Website des Kirchspiels Felsberg: Felsberg winged altar
January 01, 1970
winged, altarpiece, winged, altarpiece, also, folding, altar, winged, retable, special, form, altarpiece, reredos, occasionally, retable, common, northern, central, europe, which, central, image, either, painting, relief, sculpture, some, combination, hidden, . A winged altarpiece also folding altar or winged retable is a special form of altarpiece reredos occasionally retable common in Northern and Central Europe in which the central image either a painting or relief sculpture or some combination of the two can be hidden by hinged wings It is called a triptych if there are two wings a pentaptych but this is rarely used in English if there are four or a polyptych if there are four or more The technical terms are derived from Ancient Greek tris tris or triple pente pente or five polys polys or many and ptyxh ptyche or fold layer 1 The twelve interior panels of the Ghent Altarpiece This open view measures 11 ft 15 ft 3 4 m 4 6 m Closed view of the Ghent Altarpiece Krakow High Altar by Veit Stoss wings with reliefs and altar shrine with wood carvings There are often images on both the insides and outsides of the wings enabling the altarpiece to display completely different views when open and closed It was usually the custom to keep the wings closed except on Sundays or feast days although very often the sacristan would open them for tourists at any time for a modest tip Small winged paintings usually triptychs were also owned by the wealthy for private devotions and services in the house they had the advantage that the open view was fairly well protected when covered up during travel The form was especially popular in the later Middle Ages and during the Northern Renaissance In the 17th century Rubens was one of the last major painters to use it It was never as popular in Italy where there were many polyptychs but usually built without hinges so always open even if there were also images on the back as in the Maesta by Duccio for Siena Cathedral Above the retable may be found the crowning or superstructure pinnacles and flowers of the cross Relics can be housed below it in a reliquary in the predella lying on the altar stone Contents 1 Examples 2 Literature 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksExamples edit nbsp Winged altar of St Wolfgang s Church in Schneeberg painted panels Pacher Altar of St Wolfgang im Salzkammergut Kefermarkt Altarpiece in Kefermarkt Krakow High Altar in St Mary s Basilica by Veit Stoss Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grunewald Herrenberg Altarpiece Staatsgalerie Stuttgart Antwerp Retable The largest collection of medieval reredoses in Germany is to be found in St Anne s Abbey Lubeck including the Passion Altarpiece by Hans Memling and the Schonen Altarpiece by Bernt Notke nbsp 1540 Gotha Altarpiece with 157 individual scenes displayed in the Ducal Museum in Gotha The Last Judgment by Hans Memling Gdansk Schwabach Altarpiece in the Church of St John and St Martin in Schwabach a high altar from the workshop of Michael Wolgemut The Altar Wings of Roudniky Altar of Saint Mary Alpirsbach AbbeyLiterature editHerbert Schindler The Schnitzaltar Meisterwerke und Meister in Suddeutschland Osterreich und Sudtirol Verlag Friedrich Pustet Regensburg 1978 ISBN 3 7917 0754 X Karl Werner Bachmann Geza Jaszai Friedrich Kobler Catheline Perier D Ieteren Barbara Romme Norbert Wolf Flugelretabel in Reallexikon zur Deutschen Kunstgeschichte Vol 9 2003 ISBN 3 406 14009 2 cols 1450 1536 See also editTriptych PolyptychReferences edit Wilhelm Gemoll 1965 Griechisch Deutsches Schul und Handworterbuch in German Munchen Wien G Freytag Verlag Holder Pichler TempskyExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Winged altars Website des Kirchspiels Felsberg Felsberg winged altar Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Winged altarpiece amp oldid 1178398706, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
