EmilyA Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 I am starting a translation of a powerpoint about the restoration work in our village church, which has been written by a fellow member of the conseil. Can someone with a background in these things help me with the question of whether "retable" in French should be reredos or altarpiece in English? We are talking about the sixteenth and seventeenth century paintings behind the altar which have just been restored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 I thought reredos was carved in stone or wood , and altarpiece for paintings, but am no expert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyF Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Spot on, Norman! [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Very Christian is our Norman! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianagain Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 The word retable also exists in English and refers to a painting or piece of carving standing behind and attached to an altar. A reredos refers to a structure behind and above an altar. (Checked this in a Pevsner guide glossary)Brian (again)http://www.lookingatbuildings.org.uk/glossary/glossary/R.html?no_cache=1&tx_contagged[pointer]=2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyA Posted August 21, 2011 Author Share Posted August 21, 2011 Thanks all. They are paintings on wood attached to and above the altar which seems to cover both definitions, but I think altarpiece is a bit more accessible as vocabulary (and I don't know how to pronounce reredos!) It is a tiny country church in Normandy, but they are very fine paintings which have been wonderfully restored after they had been "improved" by successive generations of priests! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 [quote user="woolybanana"]Very Christian is our Norman![/quote]No, but have spent many hours here in front of this fine example http://www.gginternet1.co.uk/newcollege_v2/popup.asp?d=20110614&pl=62 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyF Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Isn't it fantastic, Norman I remember being very struck by ut the first time I saw it, many years ago now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyA Posted August 22, 2011 Author Share Posted August 22, 2011 Now scratching my head over this one..."pièce rapportée ou antépendium amovible en fonction de la liturgie"Also the use of "polychrome" to describe the paintings. Dictionaries and Google say polychrome, but I am not sure that means very much to the average visitor (or to me..).Very grateful for help so far... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Polychrome means many/multi -coloured.The other seems to imply that it (whatever IT is!) is movable/removable depending on the form of the service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyA Posted August 22, 2011 Author Share Posted August 22, 2011 Thanks GG - just that it talks about les peintures polychromes and "sixteenth century multi-coloured paintings" sounds a bit odd to my ears...Also I don't know what antependium means in either language, but removeable depending on the form of service does makes perfect sense... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianagain Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 It seems to be some form of removable decoration fixed to the front of the altar.http://www.dictionnaire-architecture.org/A/mot_126.htmlhttp://www.cyber-centre-culturel.fr/index.php?module=cms&desc=default&action=get&id=8312Hope this helpsBrian (again) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyA Posted August 22, 2011 Author Share Posted August 22, 2011 Thank you - a great help. I hadn't thought to check the definition in English (duh) and according to Wiki, it is a decorative hanging, which makes sense (and indeed if I had remembered my Latin would be an in-front hanging!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Isn't this the coloured part of the altar-cloth, (the frontal) which is changed according to the season of the Church?http://www.easterbrooks.com/personal/calendar/rules.htmland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liturgical_colours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyA Posted August 22, 2011 Author Share Posted August 22, 2011 Thanks Norman, I am sure that is right though it couldn't be an altar-cloth in the C of E sense as the altar is part of the whole thing and not separate - I think a detachable hanging is probably closer. (Goodness this is complicated). I am also struggling with how to describe the man who did the woodwork restoration; clearly a cabinet maker, rather than a carpenter or joiner, but cabinet maker sounds odd in relation to altars. Master craftsman in wood, perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 wood carver? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianagain Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 [quote user="NormanH"]wood carver?[/quote]I guess if this word is used to describe Tilman Riemenschneider & Veit Stoss it should be good enough. [:)]Brian (again) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyA Posted August 23, 2011 Author Share Posted August 23, 2011 Think I have decided on Craftsman in wood as it is more repairing than carving - but thanks to you both for suggestions. My favourite bit is the bit at the top which I can translate as "God is Looking at You, Sinner....." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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