Glossary Flashcards
abacus
The flat slab at the top of a capital, directly under the entablature.
abbey church
An abbey is a monastic religious community headed by an abbot or abbess. An abbey church often has an especially large choir to provide space for the monks or nuns.
absolute dating
A method, especially in archaeology, of assigning a precise historical date at which, or span of years during which, an object was made. Based on known and recorded events in the region, as well as technically extracted physical evidence (such as carbon-14 disintegration).
abstract
Of art that does not attempt to describe the appearance of visible forms but rather to transform them into stylized patterns or to alter them in conformity to ideals.
academy
An institution established for the training of artists. Academies date from the Renaissance and after; they were particularly powerful, state-run institutions in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In general, academies replaced guilds as the venues where students learned the craft of art and were educated in art theory. Academies helped the recognition of artists as strained specialists, rather than craftspeople, and promoted their social status. An academician is an academy-trained artist.
acanthus
A Mediterranean plant whose leaves are reproduced in Classical architectural ornament used on moldings, friezes, and capitals.
acroterion (pl. acroteria)
An ornament at the corner or peak of a roof
Action painting
Using broad gestures to drip or pour paint onto a pictorial surface. Associated with mid-twentieth-century American Abstract Expressionists, such as Jackson Pollock
adobe
Sun-baked blocks made of clay mixed with straw. Also: buildings made with this material.
aedicula
A decorative architectural frame, usually found around a niche, door, or window. an aedicula is made up of a pediment and entablature supported by columns or pilasters
agora
An open space in a Greek town used as a central gathering place or market. Compare forum.
aisle
Passage or open corridor of a church, hall, or other building that parallels the main space, usually on both sides, and is delineated by a row, or arcade, of columns or piers. Called side aisles when they flank the nave of a church.
akropolis
The citadel of an ancient Greek city, located at its h highest point and housing temples, a treasury, and sometimes a royal palace. The most famous is the Akropolis in Athens.
album
A book, consisting of a series of paintings or prints (album leaves) mounted into book form.
allegory
In a work of art, an image (or images) that symbolizes an idea, concept, or principle, often moral or religious.
alloy
A mixture of metals; different metals melted together.
altarpiece
A painted or carved panel or ensemble of panels placed at the back of or behind and above an altar. Contains religious imagery (often specific to the place of worship for which it was made) that viewers can look at during liturgical ceremonies (especially the Eucharist) or personal devotions.
amalaka
In Hindu architecture, the circular or square-shaped element on top of a spire (shikhara), often crowned with a finial, symbolizing the cosmos.
ambulatory
The passage (walkway) around the apse in a church, especially a basilica, or around the central space in a central-plan building.
amphora (pl. amphorae)
An ancient Greek or Roman jar for storing oil or wine, with an egg-shaped body and two curved handles.
animal style
Decoration made of interwoven animals or serpents, often found in early medieval Northern European art.
ankh
A looped cross signifying life, used by ancient Egyptians
apartheid
A political system in South Africa that used race as grounds for the segregation, discrimination, and political disenfranchisement of nonwhite South Africans. It officially ended in 1994.
appropriation
The practice of some Postmodern artists of adopting images in their entirety from other works of art or from visual culture for use in their own art. The act of recontextualizing the appropriated image allows the artist to critique both it and the time and place in which it was created.
apse
A large semicircular or polygonal (and usually vaulted) recess on an end wall or building. In a Christian church, it often contains the altar. “Apsidal” is the adjective describing the condition of having such a space.
arabesque
European term for a type of linear surface decoration based on foliage and calligraphic forms, thought by Europeans to be typical of Islamic art and usually characterized by flowing lines and swirling shapes.
arcade
A series of arches, carried by columns or piers and supporting a common wall or lintel. In a blind arcade, the arches and supports are engaged and have a purely decorative function.
arch
In architecture, a curved structural element that spans an open space. Built from wedge-shaped stone blocks called voussoirs placed together and held at the top by a trapezoidal keystone. It forms an effective space-spanning and weight-bearing unit, but requires buttresses at each side to contain the outward thrust cased by the weight of the structure.
corbeled arch
An arch or vault formed by courses of stones, each of which projects beyond the lower course until the space is enclosed; usually finished with a capstone.
horseshoe arch
An arch of more than a half-circle; typical of western Islamic architecture.
round arch
An arch that displaces most of the weight, or downward thrust, along its curving sides, transmitting that weight to adjacent supporting uprights (door or window jambs, columns, or piers).
ogival arch
a sharply pointed arch, created by S curves.
relieving arch
an arch built into a heavy wall just above a post-and-lintel structure (such as a gate, door, or window) to help support the wall above by transferring the load to the side walls.
transverse arch
an arch that connects the wall piers on both sides of an interior space, up and over a stone vault.
Archaic smile
The curved lips of ancient Greek statues in the period c. 600-480 BCE, usually interpreted as a way of animating facial features
architrave
The bottom element in an entablature, beneath the frieze and the cornice.
archivolt
A band of molding framing an arch, or a series of stone blocks that form an arch resting directly on flanking columns or piers.
ashlar
A highly finished, precisely cut block of stone. When laid in even courses, ashlar masonry creates a uniform face with fine joints. Often used as a facing on the visible exterior of a building, especially as a veneer for the façade. Also called dressed stone.
assemblage
Artwork created by gathering and manipulating two- and/or three-dimensional found objects
astragal
A thin convex decorative molding, often found on a Classical entablature, and usually decorated with a continuous row of beadlike circles.
atelier
The studio or workshop of a master artist or craftsperson, often including junior associates and apprentices.
atrial cross
A cross placed in the atrium of a church. In colonial America, used to mark a gathering and teaching place.
atrium
An unroofed interior courtyard or room in a Roman house, sometimes having a pool or garden, sometimes surrounded by columns. Also: the open courtyard in front of a Christian church; or an entrance area in modern architecture.
automatism
A technique in which artist abandon the usual intellectual control over their brushes or pencils to allow the subconscious to create the artwork without rational interference.
avant-garde
Term derived from the French military wok meaning “Before the group”, or “vanguard”. Avant-garde denotes those artists or concepts of a strikingly new, experimental, or radical nature for their time.
axis
In pictures, an implied line around which elements are composed or arranged. In buildings, a dominant line around which parts of the structure are organized and along which human movement or attention is concentrated.
axis mundi
A concept of an “axis of the world”, which marks sacred sites and denotes a link between the human and celestial realms. For example, in South Asian art, the axis mundi can be marked by monumental free-standing decorative pillars.
baldacchino
A canopy (whether suspended from the ceiling, projecting from a wall, or supported by columns) placed over an honorific or sacred space, such as a throne or church altar.
barbarian
A term used by the ancient Greeks and Romans to label all foreigners outside their cultural orbit (for example, Celts, Goths, Vikings). The word derives from an imitation of what the “barblings” of their language sounded like to those who could not understand it.
bas-relief
Another term for low relief (“bas” is the French word for “low”).
basilica
A large rectangular buildings. Often built with a clerestory, side aisles separated from the center nave by colonnades, and an apse at one or both ends. Originally Roman centers for administration, later adapted to Christian church use.
bay
A unit of space defined by architectural elements such as columns, piers, and walls.
beehive tomb
A corbel-vaulted tomb, conical in shape like a beehive, and covered by an earthen mound
Benday dots
In modern printing and typesetting, the individual dots that, together with many others, make up lettering and images. Often machine- or computer-generated, the dots are very small and closely spaced to give the effect of density and richness of tone.
bilum
Netted bags made mainly by women throughout the central highlands of New Guinea. The bags can be used for everyday purposes or even to carry the bones of the recently deceased as a sign of mourning.
biomorphic
Denoting the biologically or organically inspired shapes and forms that were routinely included in abstracted Modern art in the early twentieth century.
black-figure
A technique of ancient Greet ceramic decoration in which black figures are painted on a red clay ground. Compare red-figure.
blackware
A ceramic technique that produces pottery with a primarily black surface with matte and glossy patterns on the surface.
bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a being who has attained enlightenment but chooses to remain in this world in order to help others advance spiritually. Also defined as a potential buddha.
Book of Hours
A prayer book for private use, containing a calendar, services for the canonical hours, and sometimes special prayers.
boss
A decorative knoblike element that can be found in many places, e.g. at the intersection of a Gothic rib vault or as a buttonlike projection on metalwork.
bracket, bracketing
An architectural element that projects from a wall to support a horizontal part of a building, such as beams or the eaves of a roof.
burin
A metal instrument used in engraving to cut lines into the metal plate. The sharp end of the burin is trimmed to give a diamond-shaped cutting point, while the other end is finished with a wooden handle that fits into the engraver’s palm.
buttress, buttressing
A projecting support built against an external wall, usually to counteract the lateral thrust of a vault or arch within. In Gothic church architecture, a flying buttress is an arched bridge above the aisle roof that extends from the upper nave wall, where the lateral thrust of the main vault is greatest, down to a solid pier.
cairn
A pile of stones or earth and stones that served both as a prehistoric burial site and as a marker for underground tombs.
calligraphy
Handwriting as an art form.
calotype
The first photographic process utilizing negatives and paper positives; invented by William Henry Fox Talbot in the late 1830s.
came (pl. cames)
A lead strip used in the making of leaded or stained-glass windows. Cames have an indented groove on the sides into which individual pieces of glass are fitted to make the overall design.
cameo
Gemstone, clay, glass, or shell having layers of color, carved in low relief (see under relief sculpture) to create an image and ground of different colors.
camera obscura
An early cameralike device used in the Renaissance and later for recording images from the real world. It consists of a dark box (or room) with a hole in one side (sometimes fitted with a lens). The camera obscura operates when bright light shines through the hole, casting an upside-down image of an object outside onto the inside wall of the box.
canon of proportions
A set of ideal mathematical ratios in art based on measurements, as in the proportional relationships between the basic elements of the human body.
canopic jar
In ancient Egyptian culture, a special jar used to store the major organs of a body before embalming.
capital
The sculpted block that tops a column. According to the conventions of the orders, capitals include different decorative elements (see order). A historiated capital is one displaying a figural composition and/or narrative scenes.
capriccio (pl. capricci)
A painting or print of a fantastic, imaginary landscape, usually with architecture.
capstone
The final, topmost stone in a corbeled arch or vault, which joins the sides and completes the structure.
cartoon
A full-scale drawing of a design that will be executed in another medium, such as wall painting, tapestry, or stained glass.
cartouche
A frame for a hieroglyphic inscription formed by a rope design surrounding an oval space. Used to signify a sacred or honored name. Also: in architecture, a decorative device or plaque, usually with a plain center used for inscriptions or epitaphs.
caryatid
A sculpture of a draped female figure acting as a column supporting an entablature
cassone (pl. cassoni)
An Italian dowry chest, often highly decorated with carvings, paintings, inlaid designs, and gilt embellishments.
catacomb
An underground cemetery consisting of tunnels on different levels, having niches for urns and sarcophagi and often incorporating rooms (cubicula).
cathedral
The principal Christian church in a diocese, the bishop’s administrative center and housing his throne (cathedra).
celadon
A high-fired transparent glaze of pale bluish-green hue whose principal coloring agent is an oxide of iron. In China and Korea, such glazes were typically applied over a pale gray stoneware body, though Chinese potters sometimes applied them over porcelain bodies during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Chinese potters invented celadon glazes and initiated the continuous production of celadon-glazed wares as early as the third century CE.
cella
The principal interior room at the center of a Greek or Roman temple within which the cult statue was usually housed. Also called the naos.
celt
A smooth, oblong stone or metal object, shape like an axe-head
cenotaph
A funerary monument commemorating an individual or group buried elsewhere.
centering
A temporary structure that supports a masonry arch, vault, or dome during construction until the mortar is fully dried and the masonry is self-sustaining.
central-plan building
Any structure designed with a primary central space surrounded by symmetrical areas on each side, e.g., a rotunda.
ceramics
A general term covering all types of wares made from fired clay.
chacmool
In Maya sculpture, a half-reclining figure probably representing an offering bearer.
chaitya
A type of Buddhist temple found in India. Often built in the form of a hall or basilica, a chaitya hall is highly decorated with sculpture and usually is carved from a cave or natural rock location. It houses a sacred shrine or stupa for worship.
chamfer
The slanted surface produced when an angle is trimmed or beveled, common in building and metalwork.
chasing
Ornamentation made on metal by incising or hammering the surface.
chateau (pl. chateaux)
A French country house or residential castle. A chateau fort is a military castle incorporating defensive works such as towers or battlements.
chattri
In Indian architecture, a decorative pavilion with an umbrella-shaped dome.
chevron
A decorative or heraldic motif of repeated Vs; a zigzag pattern
chiaroscuro
An Italian word designating the contrast of dark and light in a painting, drawing, or print. Chiaroscuro creates spatial depth and volumetric forms through gradations in the intensity of light and shadow.
choir
The part of the church reserved for the clergy, monks, or nuns, either between the transept crossing and the apse or extending farther into the nave; separated from the rest of the church by screens or walls and fitted with stalls (seats).
cista (pl. cistae)
Cylindrical containers used in antiquity by wealthy women as a case for toiletry articles such as a mirror.
clerestory
In a basilica, the topmost zone of a wall with windows, extending above the aisle roofs. Provides direct light into the nave.
cloisonne
An enameling technique in which artists affix wires or strips to a metal surface to delineate designs and create compartments (cloisons) that they subsequently fill with enamel.
cloister
An enclosed space open to the sky, especially within a monastery, surrounded by an arcaded walkway, often having a fountain and garden. Since the most important monastic buildings (e.g. refectory, church) open off the cloister, it represents the center of the monastic world.
codex (pl. codices)
A book, or a group of manuscript pages (folios) held together by stitching or other binding along one edge.
coffer
A recessed decorative panel used to decorate ceilings or vaults. Making coffers is called coffering.
coiling
A technique in basketry. In coiled baskets a spiraling coil, braid, or rope of material is held in place by stitching or interweaving to create a permanent design.
collage
A composition made of cut and pasted scraps of materials, sometimes with lines or forms added by the artist.
colonnade
A row of columns supporting a straight lintel (as in a porch or portico) or a series of arches (an arcade).
colophon
The data placed at the end of a book listing the book’s author, publisher, illuminator, and other information related to its production. In East Asian handscrolls, inscriptions which follow the paintings are also called colophons.
column
An architectural element used for support and/or decoration. Consists of a rounded or polygonal vertical shaft placed on a base and topped by a decorative capital. In Classical architecture, columns are built in accordance with the rules of one of the architectural orders. They can be free-standing or attached to a background wall (engaged).
combine
Term used by Robert Rauschenberg to describe his works that combined painting and nontraditional sculptural elements.
commodification
Treating goods, services, ideas, or art merely as things to be bought or sold.
complementary color
The primary and secondary colors across from each other on the color wheel (red and green; blue and orange; yellow and purple). When juxtaposed, the intensity of both colors increased. When mixed together, they negate each other to make a neutral gray-brown.
Composite pose or image
Combining different viewpoints within a single representation.
Composition
The overall arrangement, organizing design, or structure of a work of art.
connoisseur
A French word meaning “an expert” and signifying one who values and evaluates art based primarily on formal, visual, and stylistic analysis. A connoisseur studies the style and technique of an object to assess its relative quality and identify its maker through comparison with other works of secure authorship. See also Formalism.
contrapposto
Italian term meaning “set against”, used to describe the classical convention of representing human forms with opposing alternations of tension and relaxation on either side of a central axis to give figures a sense of the potential for movement.
convention
A traditional way of representing forms
corbel; corbeling
An early roofing and arching technique in which each course of stone projects slightly beyond the previous layer (a corbel) until the uppermost corbels meet; see also under arch. Also: brackets that project from a wall.
cornice
The uppermost section of a Classical entablature. More generally, a horizontally projecting element found at the top of a building wall or pedestal. A raking cornice is formed by the junction of two slanted cornices, most often found on pediments.
course
A horizontal layer of stone used in building.
crenellation, crenellated
Alternating high and low sections of a wall, giving a notched appearance and creating permanent defensive shields on top of fortified buildings.
crocket
A stylized leaf used as decoration along the outer angle of spires, pinnacles, gables, and around capitals in Gothic architecture.
cruciform
Of anything that is cross-shaped, as in the cruciform plan of a church.
cubiculum (pl. cubicula)
A small private room for burials in a catacomb
cuneiform
An early form of writing with wedge-shaped marks impressed into wet clay with a stylus, primarily used by ancient Mesopotamians
curtain wall
A wall in a building that does not support any of the weight of the structure.
cyclopean
A method of construction using huge blocks of rough-hewn stone. Any large-scale, monumental building project that impresses by sheer size. Named after the Cyclopes (sing. Cyclops), one-eyed giants of legendary strength in Greek myths.
cylinder seal
A small cylindrical stone decorated with incised patterns. When rolled across soft clay or wax, the resulting raised pattern or design served in Mesopotamian and Indus Valley cultures as an identifying signature.
dado (pl. dadoes)
The lower part of a wall, differentiate in some way (by a molding or different coloring or paneling) from the upper section.
daguerrotype
An early photographic process that makes a positive print on a light-sensitized copperplate; invented and marketed in 1839 by Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre.
dendrochronology
The dating of wood based on the patterns of the tree’s growth rings.
desert varnish
A naturally occurring coating that turns rock faces into dark surfaces. Artists would draw images by scraping through the dark surface and revealing the color of the underlying rock. Extensively used in southwest North America.
diptych
Two panels of equal size (usually decorated with paintings or reliefs) hinged together.
dogu
Small human figurines made in Japan during the Jomon period. Shaped from clay, the figures have exaggerated expressions and are in contorted poses. They were probably used in religious rituals.
dolmen
A prehistoric structure made up of two or more large upright stones supporting a large, flat, horizontal slab or slabs.
dome
A rounded vault, usually over a circular space. Consists of curved masonry and can vary in shape from hemispherical to bulbous to ovoidal. May use a supporting vertical wall (drum), from which the vault springs, and may be crowned by an open space (oculus) and/or an exterior lantern. When a dome is built over a square space, an intermediate element is required to make the transition to a circular drum. There are two systems. A dome on pendentives incorporates arched, sloping intermediate sections of wall that carry the weight and thrust of the dome to heavily buttressed supporting piers. A dome on squinches uses an arch built into the wall (squinch) in the upper corners of the space to carry the weight of the dome across the corners of the square space below. A halfdome or conch may cover a semicircular space.
domino construction
System of building construction introduced by the architect Le Corbusier in which reinforced concrete floor slabs are floated on six free-standing posts placed as if at the positions of the six dots on a domino playing piece.
dressed stone
Another term for ashlar
drillwork
The technique of using a drill for the creation of certain effects in sculpture.
drum
The circular wall that supports a dome. Also: a segment of the circular shaft of a column.
drypoint
An intaglio printmaking process by which a metal (usually copper) plate is directly inscribed with a pointed instrument (stylus). The resulting design of scratched lines is inked, wiped, and printed. Also: the print made by this process.
earthenware
A low-fired, opaque ceramic ware, employing humble clays that are naturally heat-resistant and remain porous after firing unless glazed. Earthenware occurs in a range of earth-toned colors, from white and tan to gray and black, with tan predominating.
earthwork
Usually very large-scale outdoor artwork that is produced by altering the natural environment.
echinus
A cushionlike circular element found below the abacus of a Doric capital. Also: a similarly shaped molding (usually with egg-and-dart motifs) underneath the volutes of an Ionic capital.
electronic spin resonance
Method that uses magnetic field and microwave irradiation to date material such as tooth enamel and its surrounding soil.
elevation
The arrangement, proportions, and details of any vertical side or face of a building. Also: an architectural drawing showing an exterior or interior wall of a building.
embroidery
Stitches applied in a decorative pattern on top of an already-woven fabric ground.
en plein air
French term (meaning “in the open air”) describing the Impressionist practice of painting outdoors so artists could have direct access to the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere while working.
enamel
Powdered, then molten, glass applied to a metal surface, and used by artists to create designs. After firing, the glass forms an opaque or transparent substance that fuses to the metal background. Also: an object created by the enameling technique. See also cloisonne
encaustic
A painting medium using pigments mixed with hot wax.
engaged
Of an architectural feature, usually a column, attached to a wall
engraving
An intaglio printmaking process of inscribing an image, design, or letters onto a metal or wood surface from which a print is made. An engraving is usually drawn with a sharp implement (burin) directly onto the surface of the plate. Also: the print made from this process.
entablature
In the Classical orders, the horizontal elements above the columns and capitals. The entablature consists of, from bottom to top, an architrave, a frieze, and a cornice.
entasis
A slight swelling of the shaft of a Greek column. The optical illusion of entasis makes the column appear from a distance to be straight.
esquisse
French for “sketch.” A quickly executed drawing or painting conveying the overall idea for a finished painting.
etching
An intaglio printmaking process in which a metal plate is coated with acid-resistant resin and then inscribed with a stylus in a design, revealing the plate below. The plate is then immersed in acid, and the exposed metal of the design is eaten away by the acid. The resin is removed, leaving the design etched permanently into the metal and the plate is ready to be inked, wiped, and printed.
Eucharist
The central rite of the Christian Church, from the Greek word for “thanksgiving”. Also known as the Mass or Holy Communion, it reenacts Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and commemorates the Last Supper. According to traditional Catholic Christian belief, consecrated bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ; in Protestant belief, bread and wine symbolize the body and blood.
exedra (pl. exedrae)
In architecture, a semicircular niche. On a small scale, often used as decoration, whereas larger exedrae can form interior spaces (such as an apse).
expressionism
Artistic styles in which aspects of works of art are exaggerated to evoke subjective emotions rather than to portray objective reality or elicit a rational response.
facade
The face or front wall of a building
faience
Type of ceramic covered with colorful, opaque glazes that form a smooth, impermeable surface. First developed in ancient Egypt.
fang ding
A square or rectangular bronze vessel with four legs. The fang ding was used for ritual offerings in ancient China during the Shang dynasty.
fete galante
A subject in painting depicting well-dressed people at leisure in a park or country setting. It is most often associated with eighteenth-century French Rococo painting.
filigree
Delicate, lacelike ornamental work
fillet
The flat ridge between the carved-out flutes of a column shaft
finial
A knoblike architectural decoration usually found at the top point of a spire, pinnacle, canopy, or gable. Also found on furniture. Also the ornamental top of a staff.
flutes
In architecture, evenly spaced, rounded parallel vertical grooves incised on shafts of columns or on columnar elements such as pilasters.
flying gallop
A non-naturalistic pose in which animals are depicted hovering above the ground with legs fully extended backward and forward to signify that they are running.
foreshortening
The illusion created on a flat surface by which figures and objects appear to recede or project sharply into space. Accomplished according to the rules of perspective.
formal analysis
An exploration of the visual character that artists bring to their works through the expressive use of elements such as line, form, color, and light, and through its overall structure or composition.
Formalism
An approach to the understanding, appreciation, and valuation of art based almost solely on considerations of form. The Formalist’s approach tends to regard an artwork as independent of its time and place of making.
forum
A Roman town center; site of temples and administrative buildings and used as a market or gathering area for the citizens.
fresco
A painting technique in which water-based pigments are applied to a plaster surface. If the plaster is painted when wet, the color is absorbed by the plaster, becoming a permanent part of the wall (buon fresco). Fresco secco is created by painting on dried plaster, and the color may eventually flake off. Murals made by both these techniques are called frescos.
frieze
The middle element of an entablature, between the architrave and the cornice. Usually decorated with sculpture, painting, or moldings. Also: any continuous flat band with relief sculpture or painted decoration.
frottage
A design produced by laying a piece of paper over a textured surface and rubbing with charcoal or other soft medium.
fusuma
Sliding doors covered with paper, used in traditional Japanese construction. Fusuma are often highly decorated with paintings and colored backgrounds.
gallery
A roofed passageway with one or both of its long sides open to the air. In church architecture, the story found above the aisles of a church or across the width at the end of the nave or transepts, usually open to and overlooking the area below. Also: a building or hall in which art is displayed and sold.
garbhagriha
From the Sanskrit word meaning “womb chamber”, a small room or shrine in a Hindu temple containing its principal holy image.
genre painting
A term used to loosely categorize paintings depicting scenes of everyday life, including (among others) domestic interiors, parties, inn scenes, and street scenes.
geoglyph
Earthen design on a colossal scale, often created in a landscape as if to be seen from an aerial viewpoint.
gesso
A primer made from glue, gypsum, and/or chalk, used as the ground of a wood panel or the priming layer of a canvas. Provides a smooth surface for painting.
gilding
The application of paper-thin gold lief or gold pigment to an object made from another medium (for example, a sculpture or painting). Usually used as a decorative finishing detail.
giornata (pl. giornate)
Adopted from the Italian term meaning “a day’s work”, a giornata is the section of a fresco plastered and painted in a single day.
glazing
In ceramics, an outermost layer of vitreous liquid (glaze) that, upon firing, renders the ware waterproof and forms a decorative surface. In painting, a technique used with oil media in which a transparent layer of paint (glaze) is laid over another, usually lighter, painted or glazed area. In architecture, the process of filling openings in a building with windows of clear or stained glass.
gold leaf
Paper-thin sheets of hammered gold that are used in gilding. In some case (such as Byzantine icons), also used as a ground for paintings.
gopura
The towering gateway to an Indian Hindu temple complex.
Grand Manner
An elevated style of painting popular in the eighteenth century in which the artist looked to the ancients and to the Renaissance for inspiration; for portraits as well as history painting, the artist would adopt the poses, compositions, and attitudes of Renaissance and antique models.
granulation
A technique of decoration in which metal granules, or tiny metal balls, are fused onto a metal surface.
graphic arts
A term referring to those arts that are drawn or printed and that utilize paper as the primary support.
grattage
A pattern created by scraping off layers from a canvas laid over a textured surface. Compare frottage.
grid
A system of regularly spaced horizontally and vertically crossed lines that gives regularity to an architectural plan or in the composition of a work of art. Also: in painting, a grid is used to allow designs to be enlarged or transferred easily.
grisaille
A style of monochromatic painting in shades of gray. Also: a painting made in this style.
grozing
Chipping away at the edges of a piece of glass to achieve the precise shape needed for inclusion in the composition of a stained-glass window.
guild
An association of artists or craftspeople. Medieval and Renaissance guilds had great economic power, as they controlled the marketing of their members’ products and provided economic protection, political solidarity, and training in the craft to its members. The painters’ guild was usually dedicated to St. Luke, their patron saint.
hall church
A church with nave and aisles of the same height, giving the impression of a large, open hall.
halo
A circle of light that surrounds and frames the heads of emperors and holy figures to signify their power and/or sanctity. Also known as a nimbus.
handscroll
A long, narrow, horizontal painting or text (or combination thereof) common in Chinese and Japanese art and of a size intended for individual use. A handscroll is stored wrapped tightly around a wooden pin and is unrolled for viewing or reading.
hanging scroll
In Chinese and Japanese art, a vertical painting or text mounted within sections of silk. At the top is a semicircular rod; at the bottom is a round dowel. Hanging scrolls are kept rolled and tied except for special occasions, when they are hung for display, contemplation, or commemoration.
haniwa
Pottery forms, including cylinders, buildings, and human figures, that were placed on top of Japanese tombs or burial mounds during the Kofun period (300-552 CE)
Happening
Term coined by Allan Kaprow in the 1960s to describe artworks incorporating elements of performance, theater, and visual images. Organized without a specific narrative or intent and with audience participation, the vent proceeded according to chance and individual improvisation.
hemicycle
A semicircular interior space or structure.
henge
A circular area enclosed by stones or wood posts set up by Neolithic peoples. It is usually bounded by a ditch and raised embankment.
hierarchic scale
The use of differences in size to indicate relative importance. For example, with human figures, the larger the figure, the greater her or his importance.
hieratic
Highly stylized, severe, and detached, often in relation to a strict religious tradition.
hieroglyph
Picture writing; words and ideas rendered in the form of pictorial symbols
historicism
The strong consciousness of and attention to the institutions, themes, styles, and forms of the past, made accessible by historical research, textual study, and archaeology.
history paintings
Paintings based on historical, mythological, or biblical narratives. Once considered the noblest form of art, history paintings generally covey a high moral or intellectual idea and are often painted in a grand pictorial style.
