A polyptych is a painting or carved relief divided into several panels, usually more than three, joined together to form a single work. The term distinguishes it from the diptych, with two panels, and the triptych, with three. The panels may be fixed in a single frame or hinged so that they can be opened and closed.
Polyptychs are most closely associated with the altarpieces of medieval and Renaissance Europe, particularly in Italy and the Netherlands, where elaborate multi-panel works stood behind church altars. A typical example has a central image of the Virgin and Child or a saint, flanked by panels of other saints, with smaller scenes in an upper tier and a predella of narrative panels along the base, all set within an architectural gilded frame. Many polyptychs were later dismantled and their panels dispersed, so individual panels now appear in museums and on the market separately. Collectors and scholars examine the panel construction, gilding, punchwork and condition of the paint layers, and attempt to identify where a panel originally belonged. The term is also used for later and modern works composed of multiple joined canvases or panels.
