The triptych, named from the Greek tri-ptyche, or “three-fold,” is an artistic presentational form found throughout art history and religious symbolism, in many cultures worldwide. Early examples of triptychs were carved and painted onto wooden panels and stone tablets, and often consisted of a lager central panel with two “wings” attached onto either side. Frequently used in the context of a religious ceremony, these works were popular as altarpieces, and were made using stained glass, mosaic, and clay, in addition to paint on wooden panel. Religious painting during the Renaissance saw a rise in the use of multiple-paneled paintings or polyptychs, particularly as a means of storytelling—depicting scenes from the Bible and other religious texts. Flemish artists such as Hieronymus Bosch and Hans Memling often used triptychs to join several elements in a representational composition, exemplified in Bosch’s monumental work The Garden of Earthly Delights (1503-1515). Use of the triptych has appeared in many movements since, in particular as a photographic tool—displaying multiple perspectives at one time. Modern examples include German Expressionist painter Max Beckmann’s The Actors (1942) and Francis Bacon’s 142.2 million dollar piece, Three Studies of Lucian Freud (1969).