Diptych, triptych, polyptych—what’s the difference?
Speaker: Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
What is a Diptych, Triptych, or Polyptych? | Art History Terms
In art history, there are terms for artworks made of multiple panels, such as diptych, triptych, and polyptych. What do they mean? This video defines these terms and discusses how these types of objects have been used over centuries. It uses examples ranging from Byzantine ivory panels and painted Ethiopian panels to Keith Haring's 20th-century work and Bill Viola's Martyrs.
Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Triptych of Retired Emperor Sanuki Sends Allies to Rescue Tametomo, 1848–52, Edo period, woodblock print, 36.5 x 25 cm. Boston MFA. Photo © Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
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