frontal

1. An adjective describing the head-on view of a person or object.

2. A decorative piece, usually of cloth, that hangs in front of an altar in a Christian church. Web resource here.

Tapestry Frontal with Man of Sorrows and Saints. Wool, linen and metallic thread on linen. German. Ca. 1465. Cloisters Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

A free resource for students and teachers, created by Dr. James Terry. Art History Glossary by James Terry is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 .