A core element of the Christian worship context, the altarpiece first appeared in the High Middle Ages. Originally an elongated rectangular panel, it involved the use of the most varied materials and techniques, including gold and silver work, sculpture in stone, marble, alabaster, wood and ivory, and painted stone and wood. This book retraces the history and evolution of the altarpiece from its beginnings up to the fifteenth century, and highlights France's role in its development. Also offering a complete inventory of surviving examples in France, this is the work of reference on the subject and as such indispensable to specialists and amateurs alike.