Vocabulary Flashcards
(16 cards)
atmospheric perspective
method of creating the illusion of depth, or recession, in a painting or drawing by modulating colour to simulate changes effected by the atmosphere on the colours of things seen at a distance.
triptych
An artwork made up of three panels.
The panels may be hinged together in such a way that
the side segments (wings) fold over the central area.
Book of Hours
A prayer book for private
use, containing a calendar, services for the canonical
hours, and sometimes special prayers.
orthogonal
Any line running back into
the represented space of a picture perpendicular to the
imagined picture plane. In linear perspective, all
orthogonals converge at a single vanishing point in
the picture and are the basis for a grid that maps out the
internal space of the image. An orthogonal plan is any
plan for a building or city that is based exclusively on
right angles, such as the grid plan of many major cities.
vanishing point
In a perspective
system, the point on the horizon line at which
orthogonals meet. A complex system can have
multiple vanishing points.
foreshorten
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.
trompe l’oeil
A manner of representation
in which artists faithfully describe the appearance of
natural space and forms with the express intention of
fooling the eye of the viewer, who may be convinced
momentarily that the subject actually exists as threedimensional reality.
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.
sfumato
Italian term meaning “smoky,” soft,
and mellow. In painting, the effect of haze in an image.
Resembling the color of the atmosphere at dusk, sfumato
gives a smoky effect.
Humanism
an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.
Naturalism
(in art and literature) a style and theory of representation based on the accurate depiction of detail.
Sgraffito
Decoration made by incising or
cutting away a surface layer of material to reveal a
different color beneath.
Medici Family
The Medici family, also known as the House of Medici, first attained wealth and political power in Florence in the 13th century through its success in commerce and banking. Beginning in 1434 with the rise to power of Cosimo de’ Medici (or Cosimo the Elder), the family’s support of the arts and humanities made Florence into the cradle of the Renaissance, a cultural flowering rivaled only by that of ancient Greece. The Medicis produced four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV and Leon XI), and their genes have been mixed into many of Europe’s royal families. The last Medici ruler died without a male heir in 1737, ending the family dynasty after almost three centuries.
Grisaille
A style of monochromatic painting
in shades of gray. Also: a painting made in this style.
Pastoral
a work of literature portraying an idealized version of country life.
Allegory
In a work of art, an image (or
images) that symbolizes an idea, concept, or principle,
often moral or religious.
