What does predella mean?
A predella is the low platform, step, or decorated base associated with an altar or altarpiece. In a church, it may be a practical raised step positioned before the altar, but it is also familiar as the horizontal section beneath the principal image of an altarpiece. Predellas were often painted with narrative scenes, figures, ornament, or coats of arms, and examples from the Middle Ages and Renaissance are important works of religious and decorative art. The word consequently suggests both architecture and finely crafted church furnishings. It is especially useful when discussing the parts of an altarpiece, since artists and historians distinguish the main panel from its supporting or narrative base. Although the term is not common in everyday speech, it has a precise role in art-historical description and is often encountered in descriptions of Italian, Flemish, and other European church artworks.
nounIn church art, a predella is the platform or step at the foot of an altar, often carved or painted. The term may also denote the decorated lower panel or series of panels forming the base of an altarpiece.
- The platform or step at the foot of an altar, often carved, moulded, or painted.
- The decorated lower section of an altarpiece, especially a horizontal panel or series of panels beneath the principal image.
"The restorers uncovered delicate scenes beneath the worn paint on the altarpiece's predella."
"The choir stalls faced a carved predella at the foot of the altar."
"The conservators restored the predella, including its small narrative panels."
Predellas is the usual plural in general English, while predelle is also established in art-historical usage.
"Several surviving predellas combine painted scenes with gilded architectural ornament."
A predella turns the base of an altarpiece into a stage for smaller scenes, stories, and saints.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does predella come from?
The English word was borrowed in the early 19th century from Italian predella, a term associated with a step, platform, or the base of an altar. Italian predella derives from a Latin term used for steps or a small stair. In English usage, the name developed from the architectural base of an altar to include the painted or decorated lower panels forming the base of an altarpiece.
How predella is actually used
Predella is chiefly used in art history, architecture, and descriptions of churches or altarpieces. In general usage, it normally refers to the decorated lower part of an altarpiece rather than merely the physical step supporting an altar.