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Triptych

Artwork divided into three parts / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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A triptych (/ˈtrɪptɪk/ TRIP-tik; from the Greek adjective τρίπτυχον "tríptychon" ("three-fold"), from tri, i.e., "three" and ptysso, i.e., "to fold" or ptyx, i.e., "fold")[1][2] is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided into three sections, or three carved panels that are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all multi-panel works. The middle panel is typically the largest and it is flanked by two smaller related works, although there are triptychs of equal-sized panels. The form can also be used for pendant jewelry.

Annunciation_Triptych_%28Merode_Altarpiece%29_MET_DP273206.jpg
The Merode Altarpiece, attributed to the workshop of Robert Campin, c. 1427–32
El_jard%C3%ADn_de_las_Delicias%2C_de_El_Bosco.jpg
Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, 1490–1510. Museo del Prado, Madrid
Gallen_Kallela_The_Aino_Triptych.jpg
The Aino Myth, the Kalevala based triptych painted by Akseli Gallen-Kallela in 1891. Ateneum, Helsinki

Beyond its association with art, the term is sometimes used more generally to connote anything with three parts, particularly if integrated into a single unit.[3]