What is Altarpiece?
[[Image:Chur Cathedral Switzerland Altarpiece.jpg|thumb|280px|A carved and painted altarpiece from [[Chur]] Cathedral in [[Switzerland]] dating from the Late [[Middle Ages]].]] An '''altarpiece''' is a work of art that has been made to go above the [[altar]] in a [[Christianity|Christian]] [[church]]. An altarpiece can be a painting, or it can be carved from wood or stone. Some altarpieces have both [[painting]]s and [[sculpture]]s. ==Subject matter== [[Image:Temmes Altarpiece.jpg|thumb|This sad image of ''the Crucified Christ'' is in a small church in Northern [[Ostrobothnia]]. It was painted by Carl Christoffer Stadig 1847. Beneath the main picture he has shown ''the Last Supper'']] What do altarpieces show? There are three most common subjects, ''The Virgin Mary and Christ Child'', ''Jesus crucified'' and ''Christ in Glory''. These are three very important parts of Christian belief. Altars of [[Madonna and Child|The Virgin Mary and Christ Child]] were made to remind Christians that [[God]] came to Earth as [[Jesus]], in the form of an ordinary helpless little baby, to grow up among people. These altarpieces are to remind Christians of the [[Christmas]] story. Altarpieces of [[Crucifixion|Jesus on the cross]] were made to remind Christians that Jesus, who was pure and did not sin, died a horrible death like a robber and murderer so that Christians could be forgiven. These altarpieces are to remind Christians of the [[Easter]] story. Altarpieces that show [[Christ in Glory|Jesus sitting on a throne in Heaven]] were made to remind Christians that they need to put their lives right and turn to God because one day they will see him on his [[throne]]. These altarpieces are to remind Christians that they never know when their life might end and they should live every day in a way that pleases God. ===Saints and stories=== Many altarpieces, as well as having one of the three main scenes, may have lots of other figures or lots of other small scenes. The other figures are usually [[Canonization|saints]]. They mig