triptych n : art consisting of a painting or carving (especially an altarpiece) on three panels (usually hinged together)

English

Etymology

Greek tri- "three" + ptyche "fold".

Noun

1. A picture or series of pictures painted on three tablets connected by hinges.

1. A set of three se-tenant postage stamps that form a composite picture.

Related terms

• diptych

A triptych (pronounced "trip-tick" (or US: [ 'tɹʷɪp.dɪk ]) from the Greek τρίπτυχο [ tri'ptu.xo ] tri- "three" + ptychē "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together and folded. The middle panel is the larger one and is flanked by two smaller, but related, works. While the root of the word is the ancient Greek "triptychos", the word arose into the medieval period from the name for an Ancient Roman writing tablet, which had two hinged panels flanking a central one. The form can also be used for pendant jewelry.

The triptych form arises from early Christian art, and was the standard format for altar paintings from the Middle Ages onwards. Its geographical range was from the eastern Byzantine churches throughout to the English Celtic church in the west. Renaissance painters and sculptors such as Hans Memling and Hieronymus Bosch used the form.

Altarpieces in churches and cathedrals, both in Europe and elsewhere, since the Gothic period were often in triptych-form. One such cathedral with an altarpiece triptych is Llandaff Cathedral. The Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp, Belgium contains two examples by Rubens and Notre Dame de Paris is an example of the use of triptych in architecture. One can also see the form echoed by the structure of many ecclesiastical stained glass windows. The triptych form has since influenced contemporary painters and art photographers whose triptych don't always hinge.

See also

• Polyptych (four or more panels)
• Diptych (two panels)
• Reliquary

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