A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

in a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

. It often includes

religious image A religious image is a work of visual art that is representational and has a religious purpose, subject or connection. All major History, historical religions have made some use of religious images, although their use is strictly controlled and of ...

s. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for example very grand carved

chimneypiece The fireplace mantel or mantelpiece, also known as a chimneypiece, originated in medieval times as a hood that projected over a fire grate to catch the smoke. The term has evolved to include the decorative framework around the fireplace, and ca ...

s. It also refers to a simple, low stone wall placed behind a hearth.

Description

A reredos can be made of stone, wood, metal,

ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals i ...

, or a combination of materials. The images may be painted, carved, gilded, composed of

mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

s, and/or embedded with

niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...

s for statues. Sometimes a

tapestry Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads ma ...

or another fabric such as

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

velvet Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...

is used.

Derivation and history of the term

''Reredos'' is derived through

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English ...

from the 14th-century Anglo-Norman ''areredos'', which in turn is from''arere'' 'behind' +''dos'' 'back', from

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''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 A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate structur ...

''. 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 A Dossal (or dossel, dorsel, dosel), from French ''dos'' (''back''), is one of a number of terms for something rising from the back of a church altar. In modern usage, it primarily refers to cloth hangings but it can also denote a board, ofte ...

curtain or something similar is used instead of a reredos). The retable may hold flowers and candlesticks. In French (and sometimes in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

by confusing the terms), a reredos is called a ''retable''; in Catalan a ''retaule'', in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

a ''retablo'', etc.

Examples from various churches

File:New College Chapel Interior 2, Oxford, UK - Diliff.jpg, New College, Oxford Chapel reredos, UK File:Retablo mayor de la Basílica del Pilar.jpg, Altar of The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in

Zaragoza Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...

File:Tarancon - Iglesia de Nra. Sra. de la Asuncion 3.jpg, Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción,

Tarancón Tarancón is a municipality of Spain located in the province of Cuenca, Castilla–La Mancha. As of 2018, it has a population of 14,834, which makes it the second most populated municipality in the province. History The place's repopulation pre ...

. 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 Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano is a Catholic parish in the Diocese of Orange in California. The parish church is located just northwest of Mission San Juan Capistrano in the city of San Juan Capistrano, California, United States. Complete ...

. File:Basilica Screen Cathedral Basilica St Francis Santa Fe NewMexico PA300106.jpg, Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis, Santa Fe, New Mexico File:Sto Nino Basilica Retablo.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 Lalique is a French glassmaker, founded by renowned glassmaker and jeweller René Lalique in 1888. Lalique is best known for producing glass art, including perfume bottles, vases, and hood ornaments during the early twentieth century. Following t ...

glass reredos, Saint Matthew's Church ("the Glass Church"), Millbrook,

Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the l ...

. File:Grace Church in New York.jpg, Grace Church in New York Reredos,

Grace Church (Manhattan) Grace Church is a historic parish church in Manhattan, New York City which is part of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. The church is located at 800–804 Broadway, at the corner of East 10th Street, where Broadway bends to the south-southeast, ...

. 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 Morelia (; from 1545 to 1828 known as Valladolid) is a city and municipal seat of the municipality of Morelia in the north-central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. The city is in the Guayangareo Valley and is the capital and lar ...

, Mexico, built in the late 18th century. File:Despenser Retable, Norwich Cathedral, England.jpg, Despenser reredos, Norwich Cathedral, England.

References

External links

"Reredos"
in the ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...