Polyptych

A polyptych is a work of art, especially an altarpiece, composed of more than three panels hinged together to form a single consolidated composition. The term derives from the Greek polys meaning “many” and ptychē meaning “folding.” Traditional polyptychs usually present a central image with patient wings on the sides, though the exact arrangement varies; a predella, a row of smaller panels at the bottom, often accompanies the main work to provide additional scenes or saints’ lives.

The panels are typically related narratively or devotionally, depicting saints, biblical events, or the life of a holy figure. The multi-panel format allowed artists to tell complex stories within a single devotional object and to adapt the display to different liturgical settings by opening or closing parts of the work to control light and emphasis.

Historically, polyptychs were especially important in late medieval and early Renaissance Europe. They flourished from the 13th to the 16th centuries in Italy, the Low Countries, and Germany, serving as major altarpieces in churches and monasteries. The form evolved from simpler diptychs and triptychs, expanding to many panels and increasingly elaborate sculpted or painted detail.

Notable examples include the Ghent Altarpiece (open) by Jan van Eyck and Hubert van Eyck, completed in 1432, a twelve-panel polyptych; the Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald, from around 1512–1516; and Duccio’s Maestà, circa 1308–1311, Siena Cathedral, a large multi-panel altarpiece. In modern art, the term continues to describe multi-panel canvases or photographic works conceived as a single image spread across several panels.