A winged altarpiece (also called a folding altar or winged retable) is a form of altarpiece common in Northern and Central Europe, particularly during the later Middle Ages and the Northern Renaissance. Its defining feature is a central image—either a painting, a relief sculpture, or a combination of both—that can be concealed by hinged side panels known as wings.
Terminology and Structure
The number of wings determines the specific classification. A winged altarpiece with two wings is called a triptych; with four wings, a pentaptych (though this term is rarely used in English); and with four or more wings, a polyptych. These terms derive from Ancient Greek: trís ("triple"), pénte ("five"), polýs ("many"), and ptychē ("fold, layer").
The wings are typically painted on both the interior and exterior surfaces, allowing the altarpiece to display entirely different imagery depending on whether it is open or closed. It was customary for the wings to remain closed except on Sundays or feast days, with the closed view often depicting simpler or more somber scenes (such as Passion imagery) appropriate for ordinary days or Lent. The open view revealed the richly decorated central shrine, which often contained gilded wood carvings, painted panels, or a combination of both. Above the retable, a superstructure with pinnacles and decorative tracery was common, while relics could be housed in a reliquary within the predella (the base) resting on the altar stone.
History and Geographic Distribution
The winged altarpiece emerged in Germany, the Low Countries, Scandinavia, the Baltic region, and Catholic parts of Eastern Europe during the early 14th century. It later spread to France but remained rare in Italy, where polyptychs were typically constructed without hinges and remained permanently open, even when the reverse sides of panels were also painted (as seen in Duccio's Maestà for Siena Cathedral).
The form reached its peak of popularity during the late Gothic period, approximately between 1470 and 1520. In the 17th century, Peter Paul Rubens was among the last major painters to produce winged altarpieces, such as his Elevation of the Cross (1611) triptych in Antwerp Cathedral.
Function and Use
The hinged design served both liturgical and practical purposes. Liturgically, it allowed the imagery to be changed according to the church calendar. Practically, the closed wings protected the central image when not in use. Small winged triptychs were also commissioned by wealthy individuals for private devotion and travel, as the folding design safeguarded the interior paintings during transport.
Notable Examples
- The Ghent Altarpiece (1432) by Hubert and Jan van Eyck, a complex polyptych with multiple hinged panels.
- The Isenheim Altarpiece (1512–1516) by Matthias Grünewald, known for its dramatic open and closed views.
- The High Altar of St. Mary's Basilica in Kraków (completed 1489) by Veit Stoss, featuring carved wooden reliefs on the wings and sculptures in the central shrine.
- The St. Wolfgang Altarpiece (1481) by Michael Pacher in Austria.
- The Kefermarkt Altarpiece (c. 1490) in Austria, by an unknown artist.
- The Last Judgment by Hans Memling, in Gdańsk.
- The Schwabach Altarpiece, from the workshop of Michael Wolgemut.
