Diptych
A diptych (/ˈdɪptɪk/) is any object with two flat plates which form a pair, often attached by a hinge. For example, the standard notebook and school exercise book of the ancient world was a diptych consisting of a pair of such plates that contained a recessed space filled with wax. Writing was accomplished by scratching the wax surface with a stylus. When the notes were no longer needed, the wax could be slightly heated and then smoothed to allow reuse. Ordinary versions had wooden frames, but more luxurious diptychs were crafted with more expensive materials.
Etymology
The word diptych is borrowed from the Latin diptycha, which itself is derived from the Late Greek δίπτυχα (díptycha) 'pair of writing tablets'. δίπτυχα is the neuter plural of δίπτυχος (díptychos) 'double-folded'.[1]
Art
As an art term a diptych is an artwork consisting of two pieces or panels that together create a single art piece. These can be fastened together or presented adjoining each other. In medieval times, panels were often hinged so that they could be closed and the artworks protected.[2]
In
From the
Large altarpieces tended to be made in triptych form, with two outer panels that could be closed across the main central representation. They are one type of the multi-panel forms of painting known as polyptychs.
The diptych was a common format in
"Diptych" is also often used in reference to films or pieces of literature that form a complementary pair. When taken together, they are viewed as illuminating each other and comprising a distinct work of art from the individual parts. An example is the pair of Alan Ayckbourn plays, House and Garden.
The street artist Banksy has regularly used the diptych format for a variety of his studio produced artworks including Girl with Balloon. The diptych version of the work is made from spray paint on canvas with each panel measuring 30 x 30 cm and was released in an edition of 25 in 2005.[5]
Ecclesiastical
It is in this form that the mention of "diptychs" in early
Diptych sundial
A face was on the inside of each leaf. One leaf formed a vertical sundial, the other a horizontal sundial. The shadow caster, or gnomon, was a string between them, and calibrated as to how far they should open, as the angle is critical. Such a sundial can be adjusted to any latitude by tilting it so its gnomon is parallel to the Earth's axis of rotation. A common error states that if both dials show the same time, the instrument is oriented correctly and faces north (in the northern hemisphere). A Diptych made as stated as a combined vertical and horizontal sundial with a string gnomon will show the same time on both dials regardless of orientation.[6] This property of self alignment is only true for diptychs historically in the case for a combination of an analemmatic and a vertical sundial. A double dial on a flat plate consisting of a horizontal and an analemmatic dial will also be aligned properly if both dials show the same time.[7]
Some diptychs had rough calendars, in the form of pelekinons calibrated to a nodus in the form of a bead or knot on the string. These are accurate to about a week, which was good enough to time planting of crops.
See also
- Wilton Diptych, an extremely rare survival of a late Medieval religious panel painting from England
- Triptych
- Polyptych
References
- doi:10.1093/OED/1119971632. (Subscription or participating institution membershiprequired.)
- ^ Tate. "Diptych – Art Term". Tate. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
- The British Museum. c. 525 [525-550 (circa)]. museum# OA.9999. Retrieved 12 August 2016. • "Ivory panel showing an archangel". British Museum collection online. Google Arts & Culture. c. 525 [525/550]. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ Marilyn Diptych (1962) Archived 2012-01-11 at the Wayback Machine Tate Collection Online
- ^ "Banksy Paintings, Sculptures & Original Art | Andipa". Andipa. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
- ISBN 0-486-22947-5
- ISBN 0-486-29139-1
Bibliography
- Marco Cristini: Eburnei nuntii: i dittici consolari e la diplomazia imperiale del VI secolo. In: Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte 68 (2019), pp. 489–520.
- Wolfgang Kermer: Studien zum Diptychon in der sakralen Malerei: von den Anfängen bis zur Mitte des sechzehnten Jahrhunderts: mit einem Katalog. Düsseldorf: Dr. Stehle, 1967 (Phil. Diss. Tübingen 1966)
- Ralf Kern: Wissenschaftliche Instrumente in ihrer Zeit. Vom 15. – 19. Jahrhundert. Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König 2010, ISBN 978-3-86560-772-0
External links
- National Gallery of Art, Prayers and Portraits: Unfolding the Netherlandish Diptych (2006)
- René Maere (1913). . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- Diptych sundials, National Maritime Museum