Two wood, ivory or metal panels of equal size, usually hinged together so that they can be folded, and closed with some form of clasp. There are usually images on the inside surfaces of the panels and sometimes also on the outer sides. The panels are most commonly vertical rectangles; Gothic examples often have gables, while those from the 15th century may be round-headed.

• altarpieces... (cont.)
  • types... (cont.)
    • diptychs... (cont.)
      • Netherlands, the
        • Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §I: Master of the Brunswick Diptych
      • Rome, ancient
        • Late Antiquity, §4: Spiritual expression
        • Rome, ancient, §I, 5(vi): Subject-matter: Late Roman developments
    • Flügelaltar
      • Flügelaltar
    • pentaptychs
      • Pentaptych
    • polyptychs
      • Belgium
        • Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §I: Master of Flémalle, §1(i): The Flémalle panels & related works
      • Germany
        • Germany, §III, 1(iii): Painting, before c 1400: Early Gothic
        • Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §I: Master of the St Bartholomew Altar
        • Strigel: (1) Hans Strigel II
      • Gothic: Italy
        • Bicci di Lorenzo, §1(ii): 1430 and after
        • Duccio, §I, 2(iii)(b): Documented works, 1285–1311: The Maestà
        • Frame, §II, 3(i): Italian Early Renaissance
        • Gothic, §IV, 1(iii): Painting: Representation and response
        • Gothic, §IV, 4(iii): Painting techniques: Illumination, modelling and treatment of surface
        • Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §I: Master of the Fogg Pietà
      • Italy
        • Sano di Pietro
      • Italy: Renaissance
        • Crivelli, §I: (1) Carlo Crivelli, §1(ii): Mature work, 1465 and after
        • Domenico Veneziano, §1(ii): St Lucy altarpiece, mid-1440s
        • Domenico Veneziano, §1(iii): Other late works, mid-1440s and after
        • Meo da Siena
        • Vivarini: (1) Antonio Vivarini, §1: Early work & collaboration with Giovanni d’Alemagna, 1440–50
        • Vivarini: (2) Bartolomeo Vivarini
      • Italy: 14th cent.
        • Giovanni da Milano
        • Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §I: St Cecilia Master (i)
        • Paolo Veneziano, §2(iii): Work, 1342 and after
      • Italy: 15th cent.
        • Bembo: (2) Benedetto Bembo
      • Netherlands, the
        • Triptych
    • Schnitzaltar
    • triptychs
      • Belgium: Baroque
        • Rubens, Peter Paul, §I, 3(i): Antwerp, 1608–19: Commissions
      • Belgium: Early Netherlandish style
        • Benson, Ambrosius
        • Bouts: (1) Dieric Bouts I, §1(ii): Life and work, after c 1460
        • Bouts: (2) Albrecht Bouts
        • David, Gerard, §1(ii): Middle period, 1484–1511
        • Goes, Hugo van der, §2: Work
        • Memling, Hans, §1(i): Training and early works, to 1475
        • Memling, Hans, §1(ii): The productive years, 1475–80
        • Weyden, van der: (1) Rogier van der Weyden, §I, 3(i): Early period, c 1432–c 1442
        • Weyden, van der: (1) Rogier van der Weyden, §I, 3(iii): Late period, 1450s and 1460s
      • Belgium: Renaissance
        • Canopy (i)
        • Frame, §V, 2: The Netherlands and Belgium: Renaissance
        • Metsys: (1) Quinten Metsys, §2(i): Religious work
        • Orley, van (i): (2) Bernard van Orley, §1(i): Paintings
      • Germany: Renaissance
        • Burgkmair: (2) Hans Burgkmair I, §2: Mature works, 1508–20
        • Cranach: (1) Lucas Cranach I, §I, 2(i)(b): Altarpieces, portraits & religious prints, c 1520 and after
      • Germany: 15th cent.
        • Lochner, Stefan, §1: Identity
      • Germany: 16th cent.
        • Kulmbach, Hans Süss von, §2: Altarpieces and painted portraits
      • Gothic: Italy
        • Bembo: (1) Bonifacio Bembo
        • Cione: (1) Andrea di Cione, §3: Late works, after 1360
        • Jacobello del Fiore, §2: The `Triptych of Justice’
        • Venice, §V, 6: Scuola Grande di S Maria della Carità
      • Italy: Renaissance
        • Butinone, Bernardino
        • Taddeo di Bartolo
      • Italy: 14th cent.
        • Daddi, Bernardo, §1(ii): Mature work, after c 1330
        • Menabuoi, Giusto de’, §1: Lombardy, before c 1370
        • Nuzi, Allegretto
      • Italy: 15th cent.
        • Alba, Macrino d’
        • Braccesco, Carlo
        • Landi, Neroccio de’
      • Italy: 16th cent.
        • Solario, Antonio
      • Netherlands, the
        • Engebrechtsz., Cornelis
      • Netherlands, the: Early Netherlandish style
        • Bosch, Hieronymus, §I: Life, commissions and patrons
        • Bosch, Hieronymus, §II, 1: Work and iconography: Religious
        • Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §I: Master of Delft
      • Netherlands, the: Renaissance
        • Lucas van Leyden, §2(ii): Paintings
      • Norway
        • Norway, §III, 2: Painting and graphic arts, c 1350–1814
  • see also PREDELLAS; RETABLES; SHRINES (ii) (ALTARPIECES)