Reredos

Description

A reredos can be made of stone, wood, metal, ivory, or a combination of materials. The images may be painted, carved, gilded, composed of mosaics, and/or embedded with niches for statues. Sometimes a tapestry or another fabric such as silk or velvet is used.

Derivation and history of the term

Reredos is derived through Middle English from the 14th-century Anglo-Norman areredos, which in turn is fromarere 'behind' +dos 'back', from Latin dorsum. (Despite its appearance, the first part of the word is not formed by doubling the prefix "re-", but by an archaic spelling of "rear".) In the 14th and 15th centuries the term referred generally to an open hearth of a fireplace or to a screen placed behind a table, then became nearly obsolete until it was revived in the 19th century.

''Reredos'' vs. ''retable''

The term reredos is sometimes confused with the term retable. While a reredos generally forms or covers the wall behind an altar, a retable is placed either on the altar or immediately behind and attached to the altar. "Many altars have both a reredos and a retable." But this distinction may not always be observed. The retable may have become part of the reredos when an altar was moved away from the wall. For altars that are against the wall, the retable often sits on top of the altar, at the back, particularly when there is no reredos (in which case a dossal curtain or something similar is used instead of a reredos). The retable may hold flowers and candlesticks.

In French (and sometimes in English by confusing the terms), a reredos is called a retable; in Spanish a retablo, etc.

Gallery

File:New College Chapel Interior 2, Oxford, UK - Diliff.jpg| New College, Oxford Chapel reredos, UK[[File:Retablo mayor, Catedral de Sevilla, Sevilla, España, 2015-12-06, DD 126-128 HDR.JPG|thumb|251x251px]] File:Retablo mayor de la Basílica del Pilar.jpg|Altar of The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza File:Tarancon - Iglesia de Nra. Sra. de la Asuncion 3.jpg|Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Tarancón File:West Bromwich Holy Trinity Church reredos 01.jpg|Holy Trinity Church, West Bromwich, war memorial for World War I File:SanJuanCapistranoGrandRetablo.jpg|The "Grand Retablo", Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano File:Basilica Screen Cathedral Basilica St Francis Santa Fe NewMexico PA300106.jpg|Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis, Santa Fe, New Mexico File:Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu inside altar (Osmeña Boulevard, Cebu City; 01-14-2023).jpg|Main altar "retablo" of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño in Cebu City, Philippines File:Reredos at St Mary's Church, West Rainton. By Antonio Salviati 01.JPG|Plain altarpiece painting File:Lalique glass altarpiece in the Glass Church Jersey.jpg|Modern Lalique glass reredos, Saint Matthew's Church ("the Glass Church"), Millbrook, Jersey File:Grace Church in New York.jpg|Grace Church in New York Reredos, Grace Church (Manhattan) File:Templo de Santa Rosa de Lima (de las Rosas) en Morelia, Michoacán (6011826833).jpg|Altarpiece and lateral reredos in the Church of Santa Rosa de Lima in Morelia, Mexico, built in the late 18th century File:Despenser Retable, Norwich Cathedral, England.jpg|Despenser reredos at Norwich Cathedral, UK

References

References

1. 0838935648, 9780838935644
2. Bradshaw, Paul F.. (24 April 2013). "New SCM Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship". Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd.
3. [http://www.getty.edu/vow/AATFullDisplay?find=retable&logic=AND&note=&english=N&prev_page=1&subjectid=300076035 ''Art & Architecture Thesaurus Online''] "Retable"
4. "TEMPLO DE SANTA ROSA DE LIMA (TEMPLO DE LAS ROSAS)".
5. (1996). "Christ's Body: Identity, Culture and Society in Late Medieval Writings". Routledge.