polyptych

thumb|300px|Opened view of the Ghent Altarpiece: [[Jan van Eyck (1432). There is a different view when the wings are closed.]] thumb|The closed view, back panels.

A polyptych ( ; Greek: poly- "many" and ptychē "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) which is divided into sections, or panels. Some definitions restrict "polyptych" to works with more than three sections: a diptych is a two-part work of art; a triptych is a three-part work; a tetraptych or quadriptych has four parts; a pentaptych has five parts. The great majority of historical examples are paintings with religious subjects, but in the 20th century the format became popular again for portraits and other subjects, in painting, photography, and other media.