A polyptych is an altarpiece, a painting made to stand above the altar of a church, that joins more than three painted panels into one structure.
Two panels make a diptych and three a triptych, so the word starts at four. A typical example is a row of tall, arched compartments in one gilded frame, with a central image, a saint standing on each side and, often, a strip of small scenes along the bottom.
One of the best known is the Ghent Altarpiece, installed in 1432 in the church that is now Saint Bavo Cathedral, in the Flemish city of Ghent. An inscription on it says Hubert began it and Jan finished it, which is why it is credited to the painter Jan van Eyck together with his older brother Hubert.
Its twelve panels do not all stay put. The center is fixed, but the sections on either side are mounted on hinges like shutters. Folded inward, they cover the middle and show their painted backs, so the whole altarpiece can be closed and opened again.
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Many folds, many panels
Those hinges are where the name comes from…
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