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Altarpieces in context

Discover the history behind the altarpieces in the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery

Many of the paintings in the National Gallery's Sainsbury Wing were originally parts of altarpieces, which were once displayed on altars in churches and other religious institutions across Western Europe.

Jennifer Sliwka, Assistant Curator in Renaissance Painting at the National Gallery, traces the development of the altarpieces from the 1260s till about 1500.