A Triptych is as Modern as Francis Bacon

A triptych is a set of three associated artworks intended to be appreciated together. I always thought you’d only find triptychs in churches and museums, assuming modern artists had little use for them. I was wrong. I recently started reading Interviews with Francis Bacon by David Sylvester and was surprised to discover that Bacon created quite a few—28 major ones, in fact. Intrigued, I decided to take a closer look at this art form.

Triptych, 1976 Francis Bacon Private Collection

David Sylvester asked Francis Bacon: "What attracts you so much to the form?"   

Francis Bacon replied: "I see images in series. And I suppose I could go long beyond a triptych and do five or six together, but I find the triptych is a more balanced unit."   

Triptych by Max Beckmann entitled Carnival

Modern artist Max Beckmann also used the triptych format. He completed eight triptychs, with a ninth left unfinished.

Campin Triptych is found at The Cloisters in Manhattan

Annunciation Triptych by the workshop of Robert Campin (Netherlands).

The Annunciation is a popular theme in Christian art, depicting the moment the archangel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will give birth to Jesus..

Trittico by Bartolomeo Vivarini

Trittico di San Giovanni in Bragora by Bartolomeo Vivarini

Located in Venice, this triptych follows the classic structure: the center panel depicts the primary subject, while the side panels play a supporting role. The color red appears across all three panels, acting as a unifying element throughout the artwork.

Triptych by Giovanni Bellini

Giovanni Bellini’s Frari Triptych (Venice)

One of the original uses of a triptych was as an altarpiece. Bellini’s work is pure poetry: the saint on the right engages the viewer directly, while the saint on the left draws your eyes back toward the central Madonna and Child.

The Haywain Triptych by Hieronymus Bosch

The Haywain Triptych by Hieronymus Bosch

Designed to be read from left to right, this triptych begins with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and ends on the right panel with the Final Judgment.

I want to draw your attention to the center panel. At the very top, something of profound significance is taking place: the resurrected Christ looks down on humanity. Yet, he is completely ignored by the crowd below, who are entirely consumed by their own chaotic mayhem. You could easily spend a whole day getting lost in all of its details.

Small triptych by Hans Memling. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Triptych by Hans Memling

Notice the charming detail of the angel offering a small gift to the baby Jesus, bringing a touch of warmth to an otherwise somber composition. In the background, a continuous landscape sweeps across all three panels, beautifully unifying the entire piece.

Polyptych by Rogue van der Weyden

Polyptych of the Annunciation by Rogier van der Weyden

Unlike a three-panel triptych, this devotional work consists of six panels created in 1434, featuring a striking arrangement of figures.

The outer side panels depict the married couple who likely commissioned the piece. On the central panel, the Annunciation is painted on top, while two saints appear below—rendered on a noticeably larger scale than the Archangel Gabriel and Mary above them.

Medieval Triptych

Devotional Triptych by the Master of Saint Veronica

Devotional triptychs were often made on hinged wooden panels so they could be closed when not in use, with the exterior panels frequently painted as well.

This Medieval example is superb. Notice the playful nature of the baby Jesus and the women seated around Mary, evoking the feeling of royal ladies-in-waiting. The central panel feels wonderfully intimate. The German artist is known only as the Master of Saint Veronica—his true name remains unknown.

Three Studies for the Crucifixion by Francis Bacon Guggenheim Museum

David Sylvester asked Francis Bacon: "I take it that in the triptychs it's important for you that each canvas should be contained within a frame?"

Francis Bacon replied: "Well, there was something very unsatisfactory, for instance, when I had the show in Paris and the Guggenheim lent their Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion triptych and the canvases were all together in one frame. It absolutely ruined the whole picture. I wrote and told them that if I had wanted them all to be together, I would have put them together, because, if I'd wanted to do that, I would have painted them a different way."  

I agree. Having just completed my first triptych, I can tell you firsthand that creating three distinct paintings designed to work as a unified piece is a completely different challenge than exploring the same subject on a single canvas.

Triptych To Paradise and Back by Rossella BLUE Mocerino

But why stop at a triptych? I went on to complete a pentaptych—a work consisting of five panels—titled The Gaze. I initially approached it as if it were a triptych, building the core composition, and later expanded the piece by adding the two outer lateral panels.

And then I created a diptych—a work consisting of two panels—titled The Gatekeepers. It is designed to be hung with space between the canvases, relying on the exact same structural principle as a triptych.