Antependia are most frequently seen in textile form of course, but they also take other forms including metallic frontals as well as painted. We were recently contacted by a Maltese artist, George James Cutajar Zahra, about two antependia he was recently commissioned to paint; one for a convent in Malta and the other for a parish church in Calabria, Italy.
The first example is a violet frontal that shows a scene of the Pieta surrounded by silver flora and fauna, framed in gold.
A few closer details:
The second example shows a scene of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi adoring the Christ Child. It is set on a red background with gold flowers and vines set against a dark blue backdrop. Here is a look at the artist at work on the piece:
This particular frontal is augmented by a beautiful gilt silver and gold altar frame.
