A diptych is two panels conceived and sold as one composition. At TheArtFolio a diptych is two archival prints of 47.5 × 100 cm hung with a 5 cm gap — 100 cm square of artwork, about 118 × 109 cm framed. It needs roughly 1.4 metres of wall, which makes it the multi-panel format that actually fits a normal British living room.
What is a diptych?
Two panels, one image. Like the triptych it comes from hinged religious panels — a diptych was the two-leaf version, small enough to carry. In a modern interior it has become the quieter of the two multi-panel formats: wide enough to feel deliberate, small enough not to take over.
Diptych, triptych, and a pair
A diptych is one image across two panels. A pair is two separate images hung together. The difference is whether the composition survives being separated — a diptych does not.
Why two panels rather than one wide print
Three reasons, honestly ordered:
- The division is part of the composition. A horizon or a colour field gains a rhythm from being broken that it does not have as a single sheet.
- It fills width without height. A single print wide enough to span 118 cm would also be tall enough to dominate the wall. Two tall narrow panels give you width at a manageable height.
- It is easier to handle. Two 47.5 cm panels go up a British staircase. One 120 cm frame often does not.
How much wall do you need?
| Per panel | Gap | Artwork overall | Framed footprint | Wall you need | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diptych | 47.5 × 100 cm | 5 cm | 100 × 100 cm | ≈118 × 109 cm | from ~1.4 m |
| Triptych | 45 × 100 cm | 5 cm | 145 × 100 cm | ≈172 × 109 cm | from ~2.1 m |
Framed figures include a 2.5 cm mount and a 2 cm Classic moulding on every panel.
Where a diptych beats a triptych
Art above a sofa reads best at around two thirds of the sofa's width. A diptych at 118 cm framed suits a sofa of roughly 180 cm — a standard two or small three-seater, which is what most UK living rooms have.
It is also the better choice for:
- Chimney breasts, which are usually 100–140 cm wide. A triptych overhangs; a diptych sits within.
- Between two windows, where the run is narrow and fixed.
- Above a bed. A double headboard is 140–150 cm. The diptych's square overall footprint sits well above it; the triptych is wider than the bed.
When to buy the triptych instead
If your wall is over about 2.2 m and otherwise empty, a diptych can look stranded. Width is the whole point of a multi-panel work — if you have it, use it.
Hanging a diptych
Centre at 145–150 cm from the floor. Keep the 5 cm gap: close enough that the two mounts read as one interruption rather than two frames, far enough that the panels stay distinct.
Because a diptych is symmetrical, it is unforgiving about being hung off-centre. Find the centre line of the wall or the furniture first and work outwards, rather than hanging the left panel and measuring across.
Which subjects suit two panels
Symmetry and near-symmetry
Compositions with a natural centre — a reflection, a path, a horizon meeting its own mirror — gain from a division that lands on the axis.
Square works
All 386 diptych-capable works in our collection are square originals, which is not a coincidence: a square image split vertically gives two tall panels of usable proportion, where a landscape original would give two squat ones.
What does not work
Anything with important detail on the centre line. The 5 cm gap sits exactly there, and whatever is in it disappears.
Framing two panels
Both panels take the same moulding, mount and glazing. With only two panels the symmetry is more noticeable than on a triptych, so any mismatch shows.
Delivery
Made to order: 3–5 working days to print and frame plus 2–3 days tracked courier, so 5–8 business days. Both panels ship together. Returns are for faults or damage only, which does not affect your statutory rights.
Browse the Diptych collection →
Bigger wall? See the triptych →
