Glossary Flashcards
(190 cards)
1
Q
Abstract
A
Abstract art communicates meaning through the manipulation of shape, colour, form and symbolism instead of replicating objects in a realistic way.
2
Q
Academicism
A
Implying a traditional appreciation of the arts, usually linked to the Academies. (The style of true-to-life but highminded realist painting and sculpture championed by the European academies of art).
3
Q
Aedicule
A
A shrine of a small size designed to house a holy object. Usually with two or four columns and a domed or flat roof.
4
Q
Aerial perspective / Atmospheric perspective
A
The changes in tone and colour when an object is shown to be receding towards the horizon line. Colours will fade to show that the object is further away. This effect allows an object to appear as if it is being viewed in the distance through the atmosphere.
5
Q
Aesthetic
A
Meaning the appreciation of beauty. To consider something ‘aesthetic’ you consider it pleasing to the eye.
6
Q
Aesthetics
A
The study of the beauty of an object and the sensory responses that create this feeling. The concept of ‘beauty’ varies from person to person.
7
Q
Alla prima
A
The skill of painting an image in one full sitting, rather than returning to it multiple times to add more.
8
Q
Allegory
A
A piece of art that contains symbolism and can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning e.g. death, love, justice etc. The hidden meaning is usually a moral or political one.
9
Q
Altarpiece
A
The panels used to decorate the area behind the altar in a Christian Church. These can be paintings or sculptures and are usually panelled in a two-hinged (diptych), three-hinged (triptych) or five+ hinged (polyptych) manner.
10
Q
Antiquity
A
Referring to the past, specifically the classical period before the middle ages.
11
Q
Architectural sculpture
A
The use of sculpture in the initial design/concept of an architectural structure (similar to a maquette in art).
12
Q
Armature
A
A frame, usually wire, around which a sculpture is built to give it structural integrity.
13
Q
Arriccio
A
The first coat, which is rough, of plaster that is put down when fresco painting. An ‘intonaco’ would go over this and be the fine top layer.
14
Q
Assemblage
A
A sculpture that has been created by combining objects and assembling them into one outcome. This is usually done with ‘found’ objects.
15
Q
Asymmetrical
A
Something that does not have symmetry.
16
Q
Attribute
A
Something used to identify who an object or work of art belongs to e.g. we attribute impasto and sunflowers to Van Gogh. It can also be a way of recognising a character e.g. we identify a King or Queen through their wearing of a crown.
17
Q
Avant-garde
A
Relating to the work of artists (and individuals) who challenge the boundaries of society and push against conventions.
18
Q
Axis
A
A straight line in the centre of a form. This will be along its dominant direction and is implied rather than physical e.g. the axis through the Earth.
19
Q
Balustrade
A
The posts that form a support to the handrail of a staircase.
20
Q
Base
A
The support for a sculpture.
21
Q
Bas-relief
A
A sculpted image in which the indentations are shallow. The subject rises slightly from the background, but not dramatically.
22
Q
Binding agent
A
Something used to make a loose mixture bind together. E.g. in classical painting, where tempera paint was used, egg yolks were used to mix the ground pigments together and form a paint.
23
Q
Biomimicry
A
Art that imitates nature. Buildings and technology that use designs found in the natural world.
24
Q
Bourgeois
A
Referring to the middle/upper class and identified by their wealth usually within the arts.
25
Bronze
An alloy that has copper and tin in it. It can also contain small traces of other elements like zinc, silicon and phosphorus. Bronze is more durable than brass and has been widely used for casting sculptures since classical times. Bronze colourations range from red to silver.
26
Camera obscura
A box with a hole in one side. An inverted image is projected onto the opposite wall ready to be traced. A way of recording images before photography existed.
27
Canon
A generalised rule or criteria by which something is judged.
28
Canopy
A cloth hung over something e.g. a four-poster bed. / The uppermost branches of the trees in the forest.
29
Cantilevered
Used in architecture to describe horizontal forms that project from a wall to a central core. They are capable of carrying loads without support.
30
Capitals
The top part of a column. Usually slightly wider than the column itself and often ornate.
31
Caricatures
A style of portrait that sees the subject presented in an exaggerated way, often to represent personality traits or interest.
32
Cartoon
A drawing/design done in preparation for a fresco painting, oil painting or tapestry. Usually done to full size for the artist to then copy it across to the desired medium.
33
Casting
A technique used to create a copy or copies of a sculpture. Artists create an original from wax or clay and make a mould using plaster or silicone. They then cast from these using anything from plastic to bronze.
34
Catenary arches
An arch in architecture that follows an inverted catenary-curve. Used to form vaults and buttresses in Gothic cathedrals and Renaissance domes. A catenary is the arch created by hanging a rope or chain from two ends.
35
Chasing
A technique used in metal work. A hammer is used to impact and impress upon the front.
36
Chiaroscuro
The use of light and shadow to create a three-dimensional effect in art. Taken from the Italian meaning ‘light-dark’ and usually referring to a particularly dramatic contrast of light and dark in painting.
37
Cire perdue
Also known as ‘lost wax’ casting, this is a technique where a wax model is created (fine detail can be carved into wax) and then covered with clay. Small holes are poked in and then the whole thing is heated so the wax melts out of the mould and you are left with something that you can use to cast metal in. This method dates back to 6,000 years ago.
38
Collage
A technique where pieces of materials are used to layer up and create a composition
39
Collagraphy
Refers to a method of printmaking where textures and objects are added to a flat surface in a collage style. These are then pigmented and pressed to create a print.
40
Colonnade
A series/row of columns that are placed at regular intervals and carry an entablature.
41
Commission
When an artist is formally asked to create work, often in response to a brief or exhibition theme.
42
Complementary colours
Colours that can be paired up to complement each other. This pairing results in both colours being enhanced. The complementary pairs are red-green, blue-orange and yellow-purple.
43
Continuous narrative
A composition in a piece of art that shows different stages of a story in one scene.
44
Contrapposto
From the Italian word for ‘opposite’. Created by the Ancient Greeks, this is a positioning of the human figure, usually in sculpture, where the figure rests their weight more on one side than the other. The shoulders and legs take on a non-parallel positioning.
45
Contre-jour
A photograph that has been taken looking directly into the light, causing a bright area around the object of the photo. In relation to painting it refers to the light coming from behind the figure, placing it in shadow.
46
Corbels
A block of wood, stone or metal (usually carved ornately) that juts out from a wall and carries the weight of something like an extruding window or shelf.
47
Corinthian
Is one of three styles of column, which is more complex and elaborate than the earlier Ionic and Doric styles.
48
Cornice
From the Italian word meaning ‘ledge’. A horizontal, decorative moulding that crowns a building or building feature.
49
Cross Hatching
A series of intersecting parallel lines. These can be placed closer together or further apart to result in lighter or darker areas.
50
Cruciform
In the shape of a cross.
51
Curtain wall
A wall that bears no load/weight. Because it doesn’t carry any structural weight, it can be made of more lightweight materials like glass.
52
Doric
Is one of three styles of column, which is often wider than the Ionic style. Doric columns are plain and unadorned.
53
Drum
A circular or polygonal, upright-shaped base that supports a dome.
54
Elements of art:
Line
Line is a mark on a surface that describes a shape or outline. It can create texture and can be thick or thin. Types of line can include actual, implied, vertical, horizontal, diagonal and contour lines.
55
Elements of art:
Shape
Shape is a 2-dimensional line with no form or thickness. Shapes are flat and can be groups into two categories, geometric and organic.
56
Elements of art:
Form
Form is a 3-dimensional object having volume and thickness. It is the illusion of a 3-D effect that can be implied with the use of light.
57
Elements of art:
Value
Value is the degree of light and dark in a design. It is the contrast between black and white and all the tones in between. Value can be used with colour as well as black and white.
58
Elements of art:
Colour
Colour is made up of three properties: hue, value and intensity. Hue is the named colour. Value is the hue’s lightness and darkness (black and white added). Intensity is the quality of brightness and purity.
59
Elements of art:
Space
Space is the area around, within or between images or elements
60
Elements of art:
Texture
The surface quality of an object that we sense through touch. All objects have physical texture. Artists can also convey texture visually in two dimensions
61
Engaged column
A column that is partly exposed from a wall.
62
Entablature
The horizontal section supported by columns. The entablature is made up of the architrave, frieze and cornice.
63
Equilibrium
A state of balance.
64
Evangelist
Someone who tries to convert others to believing in Christianity.
65
Façade
The front of a building.
66
Fenestration
The arrangement of windows on a building.
67
Figurative
Anything that is based on the human form.
68
Flâneur
From the Norse word ‘flana’ meaning to wander without
purpose. In art, it refers to someone who observes the world
around them for inspiration.
69
Flying buttress
An arched structure, usually on the outside of a building that connects the wall to the ground. It acts as a support to the wall but takes the weight away from the building enabling the wall to be utilised for windows. A common feature of Gothic architecture.
70
Foreshortening
The visual effect caused by an optical illusion that an object is extending towards the viewer.
71
Fresco
The traditional method of wall painting onto plaster with water-based paints. From the Italian word ‘fresh’ because the plaster is applied wet.
72
Frieze
A horizontal band that is sculpted or painted and used as decoration. In classical architecture it is the middle section of an entablature.
73
Functionalism
Referring to the effect a piece of art has on the viewer. The idea that art is useful for bringing out human emotion.
74
Gable
The triangular shape at the end of a pitched roof.
75
Genres
Genres are ‘types’. Genres of art are things like landscape, portrait etc.
76
Geometric masses
Masses or shapes that are regular forms of geometry e.g. circles, squares, triangles etc.
77
Gesso
A type of paste that is created by mixing something like chalk dust with glue. It is spread on a surface to make it suitable for painting.
78
Glaze
A shiny top layer added to art for protection.
Glaze is also the name of the coloured layers used on pottery/ceramics.
79
Golden ratio
Mathematically it is a ratio of 1:1.618. When used in art it creates balance and harmony.
80
Gothic
A style of both architecture and art which was used predominantly from the 12th to 15th century.
81
Ground
A layer that is used to prepare the surface for painting. This may be something like gesso or could be plaster, depending on the type of surface and the intended medium.
82
Helicoids
A flattened coil or spiral.
83
Hierarchical proportion
A way of ordering things by their size or importance. When used by artists, it is a way to use scale to infer the importance of objects and figures in their work.
84
Hyperbolic paraboloids
A surface that is doubly curved like a saddle.
85
Icon
Generally meaning ‘image’, but used in religion to refer to an image of a Holy being used for worship.
86
Iconography
Images used to symbolise a narrative or moral. In Christian religious paintings, images of lambs are used to depict Christ and doves represent the holy spirit.
The same images can change meaning depending on their context and creation. For example doves in classical mythology usually mean the presence of the Goddess Aphrodite or Venus.
87
Impasto
An oil painting technique where the paint is applied so thickly it creates a raised texture on the surface.
88
Inclination
Someone’s natural way of thinking or being, e.g. ‘Da Vinci was an artist by skill and inclination’.
The degree of a slope.
89
In-the-round sculpture
The opposite to relief sculpture. In-the-round sculptures are surrounded by space on all sides and are meant to be viewed from any angle.
90
Ionic
Is one of three styles of column, which is more slender than the Doric style. Ionic columns have scroll-shaped ornaments at the top.
91
Intonaco
The top layer of plaster that is applied when creating a fresco.
92
Juxtapose
To place two different things close together resulting in a contrast. For example, black and white photos on a vibrant, modern background.
93
Kaleidoscope
An optical illusion created through the use of reflecting surfaces titled at angles resulting in anything being looked at being split into patterns.
94
Lancet
A tall narrow window with a pointed arch used in Gothic architecture.
95
Lateral loads
A lateral load is a weight or pressure pushed against a building laterally, e.g. strong winds pushing against the facade.
96
Life cast
To create a mould of the human body, usually through the use of plaster and bandages or using skin-safe silicones.
97
Linear perspective
A mathematical way to create the illusion of depth on a flat surface. All parallel (orthogonal) lines meet into one vanishing point on the horizontal line.
98
Loggia
An outdoor corridor covered on one side, top and bottom and open to the elements on the other side.
99
Maesta
From the Italian word ‘majesty’ and relating to the painting of the Madonna on a throne as the Queen of Heaven.
100
Maquette
A small model made as a test for a sculpture. This allows sculptors to work out ideas and see which ones will work the best before making them to full size.
101
Memento mori
From the Latin ‘remember that you have to die’. Objects that are created as a reminder of mortality e.g. a skull. Often included in a type of still life painting known as a vanita.
102
Memento mori
From the Latin ‘remember that you have to die’. Objects that are created as a reminder of mortality e.g. a skull. Often included in a type of still life painting known as a vanita.
103
Minarets
A type of tower usually built adjacent to a mosque. They are used to project the Muslim call to prayer. They can vary in appearance.
104
Mixed media
A piece of art created using a variety of material types.
105
Modernity
Being ‘up-to-date’. Coined by the French art critic Charles Baudelaire to describe the modern life in urban Paris in the 19th century.
106
Modern art
Referring to art created between 1860 and 1970 and specifically to art where the artist has gone against traditions of the past.
107
Monochromatic
‘Mono’ means one. ‘Chromatic’ means colour.
108
Mosaic
A technique of creating art using small pieces of coloured tiles laid into a type of cement. In traditional mosaics, the pieces are cut into small squares.
109
Mural
A large-scale, decorative wall art. Usually painted or fresco.
110
Narrative
Art that tells a story.
111
Naturalistic
Art that closely resembles objects and forms found in the natural world. Often referred to as ‘Natural Forms’. Representational of nature.
112
Nave
The central part of a church.
113
Negative space
The space around and between the subject of an image.
114
Neo Gothic
Refers to more modern work of the Gothic genre (the Gothic revival).
115
Oil paint
A material for painting with that is oilier than other paints due to the binding agent being poppy or linseed oil. The favoured material of the Renaissance artists and of Van Gogh.
116
Ogival
From the Gothic style, an arch that is drawn using compasses and most commonly used in window design.
117
Opaque
Not transparent. If something is opaque, you can not see through it.
118
Oriel
A window that projects out from a building and is supported by corbels. These are usually on the upper storeys.
119
Orthogonal lines
As mentioned in linear perspective, orthogonal lines are the lines that all converge to meet at the vanishing point on the horizon line.
120
Patina
Patina or patination is the coating that enhances the colour of a bronze sculpture. Depending on which chemical compound is used, the colour will vary: ferric nitrate produces a purpleblue, cupric nitrate creates a green blue and potassium sulphate produces black. After applying the patina layer, a thin coat of wax is then added to protect the patina.
The most commonly used is green.
121
Patron
A person can be referred to as a ‘Patron of the arts’ if they have used their wealth or influence to help an artist, an institution or a specific cause.
122
Pediment
A classical feature where a triangle space is used to form a gable on a low-pitched roof. These were traditionally filled with relief sculptures.
123
Perspective
The representation on a flat surface of how something is viewed by the human eye.
124
Piano nobile
Used to describe the main living floor/storey of a home. From the Italian ‘noble floor’. This storey is usually raised above ground level contains the main reception room and bedrooms, and usually has larger windows to indicate its status.
125
Picture plane
The implied ‘window’ that the viewer is looking through when viewing artwork that is representative of the inspiration/scene and uses perspective.
126
Pietà
From the Italian ‘pity’ and referring to paintings and sculptures of the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Jesus Christ.
127
Pigment
A material used to add colour, usually in the form of a powder. These have been used since cave art was created and would have been crushed bones, beetles and blood. In modern times we use everything from flowers to chemical mixtures.
128
Pilasters
A column that appears functional but is instead purely decorative.
129
Plane
A flat surface can be referred to as a ‘plane’ surface. Any flat surface within a painting or sculpture can be referred to as the plane.
130
Plein Air
A French term that means the practice of painting outdoors. The whole painting would be completed outside rather than just the initial sketches.
131
Pointillism
A technique in painting where the colour is applied in dots in varying sizes. This gives them the impression of blending together when viewed from afar.
132
Polychromatic
‘Poly’ means many. ‘Chromatic’ means colour.
133
Predella
The long, horizontal structure that can be found at the base of an altarpiece. These usually depict narrative scenes that are related to the same subject as the larger images surrounding them.
134
Prefabricated
Separate parts of a building that are manufactured off-site and brought together to complete a house/unit. Prefabricated houses became a common occurrence during WW2.
135
Primary colours
The main 3 colours from which all other colours are mixed.
136
Primitivism
Art that is based on or influenced by art created by older civilisations, often from Africa or the Pacific Islands, but primitive art can be found around the globe.
Also refers to a theological way of thinking that primitive cultures were a more noble way of life than modern civilisation as they lived more closely and connected to nature.
137
Principles of art:
Rhythm
When elements are repeated in a certain direction.
138
Principles of art:
Pattern
When you repeat a ‘motif’ or design many times.
139
Principles of art:
Balance
Can be either symmetrical or asymmetrical. Organised in an even way.
140
Principles of art:
Visual movement
When forms, values, patterns, lines, shapes or colours seem to create action.
141
Principles of art:
Variety
When there are lots of different shapes, colours, forms, texture, patterns, lines or values in the work.
142
Principles of art:
Emphasis
When one part of an artwork stands out and attracts the eye.
143
Principles of art:
Contrast
Very different tones shown together.
144
Principles of art:
Harmony
When the elements work together to create a pleasing arrangement.
145
Principles of art:
Unity
When an artwork seems whole, complete and together.
146
Printing press
A large machine that presses the prints more than you would be able to by hand.
147
Proportion
A principle in art that refers to ‘relative’ size of the subjects.
148
Raking light
Refers to an image that is on display (in a gallery or museum) being lit from one side only and often shows the texture of a painting. The light is shone at an oblique angle (not 90 degrees).
149
Readymade
A term coined by Marcel Duchamp in the 20th century which
refers to art created using objects which already exist.
150
Relief
A relief is a sculpture that is wall mounted and shallow. The carved details rise out of the flat base.
When referring to painting, it means a painting that has raised aspects to it.
In printing, it means carving into a material like clay, wood or lino and using this to print.
151
Repousse
From the French ‘driven back’ is the opposite to chasing in metal work. Raising parts of the metal in relief but hammering from behind. Other details can then be added from the front through ‘chasing’.
152
Repoussoir
Something placed in the right or left corner of an image that brackets the edge and directs the viewer’s eye into the composition.
153
Rib
When used in terms of architecture, it means a moulding that projects from a surface. Found often in Gothic churches to define the vaults of naves and aisles. They are often found on the outside of domes.
154
Ribbon window
A horizontal and continuous window/strip of windows.
155
Salon
Used to refer to a gathering of artists, writers and other intellectuals/creatives that would traditionally be held in a private home, but also refers to the annual exhibitions held in Paris by the French Royal Academy from 1725 to the 19th century.
156
Sand casting
A casting technique whereby sand is packed densely around an object and used to create a two-sided mould. The object is then removed and metal is poured into the mould (both sides need to be fixed together for pouring).
157
Sculpture
Three-dimensional art.
158
Secular
Non-religious.
159
Secondary colours
The colours made by mixing the primary colours in pairs.
160
Self-Portrait
An image of the artist themselves created through painting,
drawing, photography or sculpture.
161
Sfumato
The smoky effect used to blur outlines in art. Giving the object or figure a softer effect on the background. Blending one tone into another.
162
Shade
Means adding black to a colour to gradually make it darker.
163
Sinopia
A chalk-like material, red in colour, and used to draw the cartoon or preparatory drawings under a fresco
164
Spire
A pyramidal or conical structure that sits atop a building and tapers as it extends. Often found on churches.
165
Statue
A sculpture of a human form.
166
Still life
A popular genre of art. The subject is anything that does not move e.g. flowers, skulls and fruit.
167
Subtractive sculpture
The creation of a sculpture by ‘taking away’ rather than ‘adding to’ e.g. chiselling marble
168
Superimposing
To lay one thing over the top of another, ensuring that both are still visible.
169
Support
The surface that the painting is on e.g. a cave wall, a canvas, a piece of wood or paper etc.
170
Spolvero
A copy of a cartoon/preliminary sketch that can be pricked and then dusted with charcoal to ‘trace’ it onto another surface.
171
Tempera
Also called ‘egg tempera’. A fast drying and permanent painting medium made from ground up coloured pigments mixed with a binder like egg yolk.
172
Tenebrism
A style of painting where the main subject is illuminated and the rest of the scene is hidden in shadows. Adds dramatic effect.
173
Tensile
The tensile strength of a material is how much stress it can take before it breaks. In relation to art, it could mean how far a material like canvas can be stretched or in architecture it could be the weight a material will carry.
Hi-tensile means it can take a lot of stress before it breaks.
Low-tensile means it is quite a weak material.
174
Terrace
A flat space outside a building that can be at ground level or raised.
175
Tint
Means adding white to a colour to gradually make it lighter.
176
Tondo
A type of panel painting or circular relief and was popularly used in Italy in the 15th century.
177
Tone
Refers to how dark or light a colour is in an image. Different tones create depth or emotion, and they can be used together to form effects like distance and shadows.
178
Trabeated
A system of beams used to support a building rather than arches. Created through the use of posts and lintels.
179
Transept
Part of a building that lies across the main body of the structure. Many Christian churches are made in the shape of a cross.
180
Transverberation
Believed to be the moment you experience god’s presence and is often symbolised in art and literature as the piercing of a heart by an arrow
181
Trencadis
A technique used to create art using broken pieces or shards of glazed ceramics/tiles to produce a mosaic.
182
Tripartite
An art composition that is divided into three parts.
183
Trompe-l’œil
A French word meaning ‘deception of the eye’ referring to art that is so realistically made, that you create the optical illusion of three-dimensions.
184
Tympanum
The arched area above the entrance to a building, often contains relief sculpture.
185
Vanishing Point
The point on an image, along the horizon where the orthogonal lines merge and ‘disappear’.
186
Vanitas
A type of painting or image that depicts the transience of human life. Usually juxtaposing objects of wealth and death to highlight how fleeting it all is.
187
Versatile
Something is versatile if it has many uses.
188
Verisimilitude
Something that appears real, extreme realism owing to meticulous attention to detail.
189
Volutes
The decorative scroll shape that can usually be found at the top of an Ionic column. From the Latin meaning ‘scroll’.
190
Vortex
Something that resembles a whirlpool.
