The Altar and its Decorations in Medieval Churches

It is the aim of this article to problematize the concept of the medieval altarpiece or retable. If handbook definitions of a formal nature are followed, many configurations which actually occur in medieval churches remain overlooked. In order to understand the pluriformity of medieval altar decorat...

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Autor: Kroesen, Justin|||0000-0002-4141-4221
Formato: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:España
Recursos:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:129994
Acesso em linha:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/129994
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.5565/rev/medievalia.247
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Medieval liturgy
Retable
Altarpiece
Tabernacle
Sculpture
Painting
Catedral
Liturgia
Retablo
Frontal de altar
Tabernáculo
Escultura
Pintura
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spelling The Altar and its Decorations in Medieval Churchesa Functionalist ApproachEl altar y su decoración en las catedrales y otras iglesias. Una aproximación funcionalistaKroesen, Justin|||0000-0002-4141-4221Medieval liturgyRetableAltarpieceTabernacleSculpturePaintingCatedralLiturgiaRetabloFrontal de altarTabernáculoEsculturaPinturaIt is the aim of this article to problematize the concept of the medieval altarpiece or retable. If handbook definitions of a formal nature are followed, many configurations which actually occur in medieval churches remain overlooked. In order to understand the pluriformity of medieval altar decorations, a functional definition seems more helpful, such as 'any object or depiction on top of or behind the altar that forms a backdrop to liturgical activity on and around the altar'. Altars were sometimes equipped with objects which could adopt the function of an altarpiece, including reliquaries and saints' sculptures, while others were provided with painted or sculptured backdrops which often blend in with the architecture of the building. In addition, many medieval altar decorations display a fundamentally composite character, with clear distinctions between formal categories such as frontals, altar sculptures, panel retables, tabernacles and shrines being difficult to maintain. To gain a better insight into the true variety of medieval altar decorations, special attention should be paid to side altars. Re-evaluating these fixtures as a basic element of the medieval church interior enables us to form a more realistic picture of the variety of medieval altar furnishings and to better understand the original context of the many loose objects we now admire in churches and museums.El afán de este artículo es problematizar el concepto del retablo medieval. Si seguimos la definición formal como suele aparecer en los manuales de historia del arte, numerosas configuraciones que ocurren en la actualidad en iglesias medievales permanecen ignorados. Para entender la pluriformidad de las decoraciones del altar medieval, parece más útil adoptar una definición funcional, como la de 'cualquier objeto o representación encima o detrás del altar que sirve de telón de fondo a la actividad litúrgica en y alrededor del altar'. Altares podían ser equipados con objetos que asumían la función de un retablo, como por ejemplo relicarios y esculturas de santos, mientras que otros fueron proporcionados de un fondo pintado o esculpido que a menudo se mezclaba con la arquitectura del edificio. Además, muchas decoraciones del altar medievales presentan un carácter fundamentalmente compuesto, con lo cual claras distinciones entre categorías formales, como frontal de altar, escultura, retablo-panel y tabernáculo son difíciles de mantener. Para ganar una mejor idea de la variedad de las decoraciones del altar medieval, se debería prestar especial atención a los altares laterales. Una re-evaluación de este accesorio como un elemento básico del interior de la iglesia medieval nos permite formar una imagen más realista de la variedad de mobiliario del altar medieval y mejor comprender el contexto original de muchos objetos sueltos que hoy admiramos en iglesias y museos. 22014-01-0120142014-01-01Articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501VoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://ddd.uab.cat/record/129994https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.5565/rev/medievalia.247reponame:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UABinstname:Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaInglésengopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:ddd.uab.cat:1299942026-06-06T12:50:31Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The Altar and its Decorations in Medieval Churches
a Functionalist Approach
El altar y su decoración en las catedrales y otras iglesias. Una aproximación funcionalista
title The Altar and its Decorations in Medieval Churches
spellingShingle The Altar and its Decorations in Medieval Churches
Kroesen, Justin|||0000-0002-4141-4221
Medieval liturgy
Retable
Altarpiece
Tabernacle
Sculpture
Painting
Catedral
Liturgia
Retablo
Frontal de altar
Tabernáculo
Escultura
Pintura
title_short The Altar and its Decorations in Medieval Churches
title_full The Altar and its Decorations in Medieval Churches
title_fullStr The Altar and its Decorations in Medieval Churches
title_full_unstemmed The Altar and its Decorations in Medieval Churches
title_sort The Altar and its Decorations in Medieval Churches
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Kroesen, Justin|||0000-0002-4141-4221
author Kroesen, Justin|||0000-0002-4141-4221
author_facet Kroesen, Justin|||0000-0002-4141-4221
author_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Medieval liturgy
Retable
Altarpiece
Tabernacle
Sculpture
Painting
Catedral
Liturgia
Retablo
Frontal de altar
Tabernáculo
Escultura
Pintura
topic Medieval liturgy
Retable
Altarpiece
Tabernacle
Sculpture
Painting
Catedral
Liturgia
Retablo
Frontal de altar
Tabernáculo
Escultura
Pintura
description It is the aim of this article to problematize the concept of the medieval altarpiece or retable. If handbook definitions of a formal nature are followed, many configurations which actually occur in medieval churches remain overlooked. In order to understand the pluriformity of medieval altar decorations, a functional definition seems more helpful, such as 'any object or depiction on top of or behind the altar that forms a backdrop to liturgical activity on and around the altar'. Altars were sometimes equipped with objects which could adopt the function of an altarpiece, including reliquaries and saints' sculptures, while others were provided with painted or sculptured backdrops which often blend in with the architecture of the building. In addition, many medieval altar decorations display a fundamentally composite character, with clear distinctions between formal categories such as frontals, altar sculptures, panel retables, tabernacles and shrines being difficult to maintain. To gain a better insight into the true variety of medieval altar decorations, special attention should be paid to side altars. Re-evaluating these fixtures as a basic element of the medieval church interior enables us to form a more realistic picture of the variety of medieval altar furnishings and to better understand the original context of the many loose objects we now admire in churches and museums.
publishDate 2014
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2
2014-01-01
2014
2014-01-01
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
VoR
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://ddd.uab.cat/record/129994
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.5565/rev/medievalia.247
url https://ddd.uab.cat/record/129994
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.5565/rev/medievalia.247
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
instname:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
instname_str Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
reponame_str Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
collection Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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