Exam 1 Flashcards
(42 cards)
amphora
a two handled jar with a narrow neck that was used in ancient times to store or carry wine or oils
architrave
the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of the columns. It is an architectural element in Classical architecture.
bilingual pot
included the older black-figure style of decoration on one side of the pot and the newer red-figure style on the other side. Style was created with uncertainty if new people would accept the new style of pottery.
black-figure
Figures and ornaments were painted on the body of the vessel using shapes and colors reminiscent of silhouettes. Delicate contours were incised into the paint before firing, and details could be reinforced and highlighted with opaque colors, usually white and red.
canon of proportions
Repeatable statements of power. Body is proportionate in an artificial way. Rule of mathematical proportions of the human body that was used for measurements of the human body in sculpturing. Canon was based on a ratio of units and the length of various body parts
capital
forms the topmost member of a column (or a pilaster). It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column’s supporting surface.
caryatid
is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head
cella
is the inner chamber of a temple in classical architecture
chimaera
a monstrous fire-breathing hybrid creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, composed of the parts of more than one animal. Usually depicted as a lion, with the head of a goat arising from its back, and a tail that might end with a snake’s head
corbelled vaulting
is an arch-like construction method that uses the architectural technique of corbeling to span a space or void in a structure, such as an entranceway in a wall or as the span of a bridge
Dorians
no fucking clue
entablature
a horizontal, continuous lintel on a classical building supported by columns or a wall, comprising the architrave, frieze, and cornice.
entasis
a slight convex curve in the shaft of a column, introduced to correct the visual illusion of concavity produced by a straight shaft.
fluting
narrow channels running up and down the columns. it made the columns look skinnier and taller and more elegant. Fluting the columns also gave them more of a feeling of rhythm, which architects working in ancient Greece thought was an important aspect of a temple.
foreshortening
the distortion that is seen by the eye when an object or figure is viewed at a distance or at an unusual angle. In a photograph of a recumbent figure positioned so that the feet are nearest the camera, for instance, the feet will seem unnaturally large and those body parts at a distance, such as the head, unnaturally small
frieze
the middle of the three main divisions of an entablature (section resting on the capital). The frieze is above the architrave and below the cornice (in a position that could be quite difficult to view). The term also refers to any long, narrow, horizontal panel or band used for decorative purposes—e.g., on pottery, on the walls of a room, or on the exterior walls of buildings.
gorgon
The Gorgons were three monsters in Greek mythology, daughters of Echidna and Typhon, the mother and father of all monsters respectively, Their names were Stheno, Euryale, and the most famous of them, Medusa.
griffin
was a beast with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. Symbol of divine power and guardian of the divine.
Herakles
(or Hercules) is best known as the strongest of all mortals, and even stronger than many gods. He was the deciding factor in the triumphant victory of the Olympians over the giants. He was the last mortal son of Zeus, and the only man born of a mortal woman to become a god upon his death.
hieratic scaling
Hieratic scale is a technical term given to describe how we assign importance to images by increasing their size in relation to others on the picture plane. This is especially prevalent when we look at religious artwork, but even children execute drawings using this type of scale to signify the most important members of their household.
high relief
relief sculpture is any work which projects from but which belongs to the wall, or other type of background surface, on which it is carved. Reliefs are traditionally classified according to how high the figures project from the background. A form of three-dimensional art
hoplites
was the most common type of heavily armed foot-soldier in ancient Greece from the 7th to 4th centuries BCE, and most ordinary citizens of Greek city-states with sufficient means were expected to equip and make themselves available for the role when necessary
Iliad
ancient poem by Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy (Ilium) by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles.
Ionians
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