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retablo

altarpiece

noun rreh-TAH-bloh Rare
Arts & Culture Visual Arts

Origin: From Latin retro tabula ('behind the table/altar').

Also means

retable

Usage Note

Retablo is the ornate painted or carved screen placed behind a church altar, a defining feature of Spanish Gothic and Baroque sacred art. Outside the religious context it can refer to a theatrical puppet show — famously Cervantes's entremés El retablo de las maravillas — or, figuratively, a colourful scene or spectacle. Do not confuse with cuadro (painting).

Examples

"El retablo mayor de la catedral es de estilo gótico."

Natural Translation

The main altarpiece of the cathedral is in Gothic style.

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