Roman Art Terms

Question 1

<p>acanthus</p>

Answer 1

<p>A broad-leafed plant with many spikes, used as a decorative pattern on Corinthian capitals and reliefs</p>

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Question 2

<p>acroteria</p>

Answer 2

<p>Ornaments at the apex of the gable and at the corners of the roof of a temple</p>

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Question 3

<p>aggregate</p>

Answer 3

<p>The inert material (sand, gravel, or rubble) bound with pozzolana to form concrete</p>

Question 4

<p>agora (Greek)/ forum (Roman)</p>

Answer 4

<p>Term for open-air market spaces or political centers</p>

Question 5

<p>ala</p>

Answer 5

<p>Wing or side section of a house or temple</p>

Question 6

<p>antrum</p>

Answer 6

<p>Latin for &uml;cave&uml; or &uml;grotto&uml;; innermost recess of a hillside santuary</p>

Question 7

<p>apse</p>

Answer 7

<p>A semicircular space, usually at the end of a hall or basilica</p>

Question 8

architrave

Answer 8

The horizontal architectural element above the columns in a classical temple

Question 9

atmospheric perspective

Answer 9

An art technique for creating the illusion of distance by making faraway objects appear hazier than objects in the foreground

Question 10

atrium

Answer 10

The central room of a traditional Roman house

Question 11

attic

Answer 11

Upper portion of a triumphal arch

Question 12

basilica

Answer 12

The conventional name for halls built to accommodate a crowd of people for civic and administrative purposes

Question 13

bucchero

Answer 13

Fine black polished pottery made by the Etruscans

Question 14

capital

Answer 14

The upper, spreading element of a column, forming a transition between the vertical shaft and horizontal elements of the architrave

Question 15

caryatid

Answer 15

A female figure used as a support, most commonly for mirror handles or as a replacement for columns

Question 16

cavea

Answer 16

The rounded hollow space in a theatre where the seats were placed

Question 17

cella

Answer 17

An enclosed room of a temple, usually housing the cult statue

Question 18

chiaroscuro

Answer 18

Art technique that uses light and shadow to create the illusion of shape and volume

Question 19

circus

Answer 19

A track for chariot racing

Question 20

cloaca

Answer 20

A drain or sewer

Question 21

coffers

Answer 21

The box-like shapes in the ceiling of architectural monuments and arches, used to reduce the mass of the vaulting

Question 22

colonnnade

Answer 22

A row of columns (surrounding a temple or as an independent structure)

Question 23

Corinthian style

Answer 23

Fanciest column style with swirly leaves

Question 24

cupola

Answer 24

Another word for a dome

Question 25

domus

Answer 25

A single family townhouse (like a villa, but in town)

Question 26

emblature

Answer 26

The upper architectural elements of a temple, above the columns

Question 27

exedra

Answer 27

Large curving space set back in a wall or colonnade; uncovered and bigger than an apse

Question 28

fluting

Answer 28

Vertical grooves in columns

Question 29

fresco

Answer 29

Wall painting in which the paint is applied to wet plaster and absorbed into it

Question 30

frieze

Answer 30

Horizontal space above the main crossbeam in a temple, usually decorated with sculpture or floral elements

Question 31

Ionic style

Answer 31

Column design with swilrly ends

Question 32

mausoleum

Answer 32

A very large tomb

Question 33

obelisk

Answer 33

A tapering pillar of square section

Question 34

oculus

Answer 34

Round opening in a dome that lets light in

Question 35

orchestra

Answer 35

The flat, semicircular space in front of the stage within the theatre

Question 36

peristyle

Answer 36

The rectangular courtyard or garden of a Greek or Roman house

Question 37

piscina

Answer 37

A fish pond

Question 38

portico

Answer 38

A porch, or a line of columns in a colonnade

Question 39

pozzolana

Answer 39

Volcanic earth used as the main ingredient in Roman concrete

Question 40

pylons

Answer 40

Important gateways or the square pillars that support an arch