Diptychs, Triptychs, and Comic Books

The Ryerson Diptych, 1275-1285

Daredevil, 1963

 

What is the rationale behind imagery that is set within boundaries, another dimension of the 2-D space, next to another?  While it’s something that one may take for granted in the West through altarpieces and comic books, since I use this approach to imagery I ask in order to discover an answer or at least some kind of clue.  I enjoy placing one image next to another in different settings to see how the similarities or contrasts sharpen or enhance the other, but maybe there’s more to it than I realize.  So, let’s review those “bounded images” of diptychs, triptychs, and comic book panels.

Altarpieces and devotional art are a part of the western religious heritage, particularly through Christianity.  A good example of this is the 13^th century Ryerson diptych, a portable religious artwork, seeing that it can close and move where it is convenient.  Each panel is about 11 x 15 inches, and so when open it is large enough to gain the attention of the devout when in prayer. 

The left side portrays Mary with the child Jesus with angels and the donor, the right side presents the crucifixion with Mary and John the evangelist.  There is much to say about this juxtaposition of two scenes from the life of Christ, from birth to death, but I want to discuss only the use of the diptych for it. 

A first question would be why not portray all this in one piece?  Yes, that can be done, and there are paintings of this and other periods that present multiple actions within one 2-D space whether it is a mural, painting, or icon.  So, is there an advantage to two separate works bound together? 

One advantage would be the ease of portability and storage, and while closed would protect both paintings.  A second reason, though not necessarily an advantage, is that the physical division between the two allows one to concentrate on them separately if desired.  Another point of interest is that the artistic comparison between the two allows the viewer to go back-and-forth to gain meaning from correlation, without having them collide visually.  A final motivation is the narrative view, wherein the order is clear and there is no ambiguity regarding the place or time of each event. 

This last item brings us to the comic book page or as in here, the cover.  Throughout the comic book the panels bring the reader through the story in sequence, it has narrative force.  As the cover here shows, however, it is also a way to provide information and allow the viewer to make the connections among them, whether because of an association or a contrast among the topics.  It assists defining figures and actions in their proper context.

Sometimes one of these reasons or motivations are the aesthetic support for what I’m constructing in an image although at other times I’m not sure, honestly, if there is any particular rationale to it.  So far, it appears to work for my various aims as to what I envision for the final image effect.  And yes, this connection to devotional art and comic book illustration is not by content, usually; instead it is the formal structure and effect that they share.