Diptych Artworks

Think that triptychs and diptychs are only religious artworks? Not at all! Two-piece artworks can be made in all kinds of media such as painting, drawing or photography. In modern and contemporary art, some works are imagined and arranged in two parts. Artists also create optical illusions which imitate diptychs by splitting the painting in two. Thanks to these two part artworks, these works of art will bring depth and volume to your interior. Since Andy Warhol's famous 'Marilyn Diptych', duo works have never been out of fashion

A diptych ("di" meaning two and "ptyche" meaning fold in Greek) is any object with two flat plates attached at a hinge. Diptychs are usually 2D works composed of 2 pieces. They are completed in a variety of media including painting, photography and drawing, and also represent all types of subject matter including, portraits, landscapes and abstract art. 

Diptychs have been a popular art form amongst artists for centuries. Generally there is a link between the panels, where subjects often engage with or look at each other from the two sections. Alternatively, it could depict a single work that is continued across the two parts. This means the diptych could provide two alternative viewpoints of a single scene, or share the same color and composition but show two different themes. In art history, the diptych was used to present certain scenarios. These were often scenes of marriage (husband and wife on different panels), life and death or wealth and poverty. 

In modern and contemporary art, some works are imagined and arranged in two. Artists also create “trompes l'oeil" (literally means “deceive the eye") which are optical illusions that imitate diptychs by splitting the painting in two. This can be as simple as applying a straight line through the centre of the work. In Late Antiquity, "consular diptychs" were made to mark an individual's election as Roman consul. These were created in wood, ivory or metal. 

The diptych was additionally used in early Christian literature to tell stories of saints, Christ and the Virgin Mary. The form facilitated the transportation of these stories, since it could be closed like a book to preserve its interior. 

Diptychs were additionally present in classical and modern art (of the 20th century). However, very few old pieces of this art form survived, and those that did are kept in the most renowned museums worldwide. 

In 1935, King Richard II commissioned the Wilton Diptych, a small portable diptych and extremely rare Medieval religious painting from England. It is now in the National Gallery in London.  Measuring 53 x 37 cm, the Baltic oak panels depict a kneeling Richard II on one panel, praying to the Virgin Mary on the other. 

The Louvre has the Diptych of Jean Carondelet in its possession, which was created by Jean Gossaert in 1517. The diptych is a work of private devotion, yet underlines the Flemish painter's talent for portraiture. Jean Carondelet is shown praying towards the right panel where an image of the Virgin Mary is also painted. However, unlike the Wilton Diptych, this is actually a double diptych as the back of the piece is painted with a coat of arms and a skull (vanitas). 

Alternatively, one of the most famous diptychs only dates back to 1962, and was completed by Pop art master, Andy Warhol.  His famous “Marilyn Diptych" shows two serigraphs: one in color and one in black and white. According to the Tate, this “evokes [Marilyn Monroe's] ubiquitous presence in the media. The contrast of vivid colour with black and white, and the effect of fading in the right panel are suggestive of the star's mortality."

Discover the art of the diptych in all its forms with this unique selection from Artsper! Uncover the abstract painting of Tommaso Fattovich, the quirky messages of Agnès Thurnauer, the vibrant compositions of Novi Lim, the enchanting colors of Ron Halfant, the maritime views of Ana Hefco or the meditative photographs of Serge Hamad.