predella

noun preh-DEL-lah Rare

Also means

altar step; painting base panel

Usage Note

Predella has two main senses: in church architecture it is the step or platform at the base of an altar; in art history it is the lower horizontal strip of smaller narrative panels beneath a large altarpiece. Italian art historians use the term routinely; English art history has borrowed it directly.

Examples

"La predella dell'altare è decorata con scene bibliche."

Natural Translation

The predella of the altar is decorated with biblical scenes.

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