Illustrated Architecture Dictionary

Predella

Platform or step on which an altar stands. A carving or painting on a raised step near the base of a Christian altar

Smaller bottom section of a stained glass window, usually separated from the upper window by a horizontal bar.


"In later Christian medieval and Renaissance altarpieces, where the main panel consisted of a scene with large static figures, it was normal to include a predella below with a number of small-scale narrative paintings depicting events from the life of the dedicatee, whether the Life of Christ, the Life of the Virgin or a saint. Typically there would be three to five small scenes, in a horizontal format." - Wikipedia (online March 2020)


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