A diptych is a pair of paintings. What is a single painting called?

Question

A diptych (from the Greek di "two" and ptychē "fold") is a pair of paitings. You can also say triptych for a group of three paintings belonging together, septych for a group of seven and so on. Polyptych is an umbrella term for these words.

Is there a word for a single painting that has similar etymology?

If not, is there a word for a single work of art that can be used when one wants to emphasize that it's a single independent work of art, as opposed to a part of a group (for example a diptych)?

Andrew Leach · Accepted Answer

The etymology of diptych and its extensions triptych and polyptych includes the concept of the folding of the images.

Mid 19th century: from late Latin polyptycha (neuter plural) 'registers', from Greek poluptukhos 'having many folds', from polu- 'many' + ptukhē 'fold'.
ODO

As Chasly  has commented, the concept of folding a single panel is rather self-defeating, so monoptych, which would be etymologically correct, is not found.
Generally, as the linked paintings are painted on board, the term panel is used.

Desert Penguin · Answer

I agree that the "ptych" concept doesn't really apply to a single piece, but if I wanted to name it that way to clarify it differing from other, multi-part, pieces of art, I would be inclined to call it a holoptych, indicating that it's both singular and that the one item is the whole of the art piece.

Answered by Desert Penguin on December 14, 2020

A diptych is a pair of paintings. What is a single painting called?

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