Triptych Art — What Is It? [7 Ways] To Use Triptych Canvas!

We want you to learn more about what it means. It may be considered a fine-art term, but with Printmoz the simplicity of getting the art printed in this format has made its transitions through the ages.

Triptych canvas pieces were from historical Christian art. Besides that, they were often paintings for altars from the Middle Ages and later. Triptych art now can be used for fine art and even family photos, or landscape photography.

So what is a triptych anyway?

In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of a triptych has two meanings.

1a: a picture (such as an altarpiece) or carving in three panels side by side

b: something composed or presented in three parts or sections

especially: TRILOGY

2: an ancient Roman writing tablet with three waxed leaves hinged together

Many people spell tryptich canvas a little differently as well. It’s a confusing word. Triptychs, what are they? That is the question. But it’s not the most important one of the day. I want to focus primarily on what it is and what it can do for you in your space.

Do I have to use three separate images in a tryptich canvas?

The answer is entirely not! There are two ways you can go about using triptych art to show off in your art exhibit or your company lobby. The first way is to use three different images that are displayed close to one another in a row.

To create great triptychs, if you use this method, you’ll want the three pieces to flow together naturally. Unless you’re doing your senior art project and you’re going for something completely nontraditional.

But if you're in more of the classic triptic canvas camp, you’ll want your pieces to be associated in some way. With color schemes, patterns, people, landscapes or other compatible imagery.

Here’s the next classic way to display triptych art

The second way to create triptychs is to use one piece of art, whether it be a painting or family photo, and basically put it into 3 sections. Hotels are famous for using triptic canvas prints in their rooms, bars and check out desk.

Not only are they popular in hotels and art galleries, but they’re also gaining popularity in people’s homes. Who doesn’t want to put their beautiful family in their living room? It seems like lots of families want to show off their yearly vacations or family portraits.

You can even change out your triptic canvas every summer after your annual trip to Florida. What a great way to change triptych art in your living room while remembering the fun that was had on your last vacation!

Your family photo or a print of an expensive painting you want to keep out of site can be front and center (while still in the safe) by creating a tryptych canvas trio print set

gallery-wrap-prints

If you’re an artist who wants to sell prints of original paintings triptychs, they're a great way to show off your stuff. Whether it's at a gallery or an art market. You can keep your unique set of three paintings safe by digitizing your work onto gallery wrapped canvas.

You can keep your paintings dry at an outside art show and still have excellent wall coverage

If you are displaying your art outside, your painting is safe when you make it into a tryptich canvas (also known at split canvas prints) set consequently.

Although, having one painting or art print is excellent, having a triptych will give you a lot of art for the right price. Triptychs are great if you have a large blank wall space and don’t know what to do. Using a tryptych to decorate a plain room will give you an instant high-end appeal.

Your neighbors will be envious due to the fact your artwork looks like it cost thousands of dollars. You can get pieces printed 95” x 95”. Imagine how spectacular a triptych that large would be in a huge room!

Even if you don’t have a grand ballroom to decorate, in contrast, a small or medium space will benefit from using a tryptich

Tryptichs will bring an extraordinary visual appeal. There’s just something about them that makes artwork stand out. It’s almost like reading a book. Your eye naturally goes from left to right (at least in the US).

Also, it gives the viewer a story to see in several pieces. It’s a fun and vibrant way to display art. Even though tryptich art came from the Middle Ages, it can also give a modern feel to any office space or condo.

The beauty of a triptych is the flexibility it gives you. You can create a balanced feel with each piece. You can even create a tryptych with the same size prints on foam board, or in contrast, you can have a funky unsymmetrical look as well.

While the symmetrical look is fantastic, it’s certainly fun to play with ideas to create something completely unique. You can have your tryptich with a large central piece like many classic pieces, or you can have pieces going from small to large.

You can also change the heights in a tryptich. They don't’ have to be all matchy

Having a large square piece in the center then two smaller centered squares can give your artwork an uncommon yet put together look as a result. As long as the three parts have a cohesive design with colors or other design elements you’ve got nothing to lose!

Triptych art definition

Basically, a simple triptych art definition is when there are three panels in a series. These independent pieces are created to be displayed together to create a cohesive look within three separate pieces. This is different than a diptych which has only two panels instead of three.

Triptych photography ideas

The three “fold” art pieces you now know compliment each other (at least traditionally anyway). So you can follow the artists from the past or create your own thing. When you have a panoramic photograph, this is one of the easiest ways to make a big impression with a single image broken up into three segments.

Another idea is to take a series of portraits (three of them of course!). You can create a central image in the center and have the side panels showing off an abstract photograph that ties in with part of the scene, but maybe off to the side.

You can also have three photographs of a person with three different expressions. This is a great way to create fantastic art when you have an expressive model.

Triptych synonym

There are a few people out there wanting to know the synonyms for the word triptych. There are more than a few. Here’s a chart of words that should keep you satisfied in the synonym department.

tryptich	triune	troika
triplicate	triplet	trinity
triangle	ternion	set of three
trey	troika	threesome

The word ternion came from the Latin phrase ternio which means triad. Troika has a few meanings, it was a Russian wagon pulled by three horses. It also could mean three people, or nations. So most of the definitions are connected to the number three in some way.

Your creativity is the only limit when it comes to creating tryptich art

You can also have stacked panels or panels in a row. The choice is yours. Look at your wall space then decide which fit is the best for you. Then you can tell your story with your tryptich.

Your story can be from your wedding with three separate photos from your special day. Or your child's birthday party from the past three years. Or one giant picture that is put onto three different panels. We can’t wait for you to get started. Click here to upload the art for your gallery wrapped canvas triptych prints today!