APAH Vocab

Acropolis

A ‘high city”, A Greek temple complex built on a hill over a city

Agora

A public plaza in a Greek city where commercial, religious, and societal activities are conducted

Amphiprostyle

Having four columns in the front and rear of temple

Amphora

A two-handled ancient Greek storage jar

Architrave

A plain, unornamented lintel on the entablature

Athena

Greek goddess of war and wisdom, patron of Athens

Canon

A body of rules or laws; in Greek art, the ideal mathematical proportion of a figure

Caryatid

a building column that is shaped like a female figure

Cella

the main room of a temple where the god is housed

Contrapposto

A graceful and relaxed arrangement of the body based on the tilted shoulders and hips and bent knees

Corinthian

An ancient order of Greek architecture similar to Ionic, only the capitals are carved in tiers of leaves

Cornice

A projecting ledge over a wall

Doric

an order of ancient Greek architecture that features grooved columns with no grooved bases and an upper story with square sculpture called metopes

Encaustic

A type of painting in which colors are added to hot wax to affix a surface

Entablature

The upper story of a Greek temple

Frieze

A horizontal band of sculpture

Gigantomachy

A mythical ancient Greek war between the giants and the Olympian gods

In situ

A latin expression that means something is in its original location

Ionic

an order of Greek architecture that features columns with scrolled capitals and an upper story with sculptures that are in friezes

Isocephalism

the tradition of depicting heads of figures on the same level

Kiln

an oven used for making pottery

Kourous (female: kore)

an archaic Greek sculpture of a standing youth

Krater

a large ancient Greek bowl for mixing water and wine

Metope

A small relief sculpture on the facade of a Greek temple

Mosaic

A decoration using pieces of stone, marble, or colored glass, called tesserae, that are cemented to a wall or floor

Nike

ancient Greek goddess of victory

Niobe

the model of a grieving mother, after bosting of her fourteen children, jealous gods killed them

Panathenic Way

a ceremonial road for procession built to honor Athena during a festival

Pediment

The triangular top of a temple that contains sculpture

Peplos

A garment worn by women in ancient Greece, usually full length and tied at the waist

Peristyle

A collonade surrounding surrounding a building or enclosing a courtyard

Propylaeum (plural: propylaea)

A gateway leading to a Greek temple

Relief Sculpture

A sculpture that projects from flat background

Bas-relief

A very shallow relief sculpture

Shaft

the body of a column

Stele (plural: stelae)

An upright stone slab used to mark a grave or sight

Stoa

An ancient Greek covered walkway having columns on one side and a wall on the other

Tholos

An ancient Greek circular building

Triglyph

A projecting grooved element altering with a metope on a Greek temple

Zeus

King of ancient Greek gods, known at Jupiter to Romans, god of the sky and weather

Ashlar Masonry

Carefully cut and grooved stones that support a building without the use of concrete or other kinds of msonry

Atrium (plural: atria)

A courtyard in roman house or before a christian church

Basilica

In Roman architecture, a large axially planned building with a nave, side aisles, and apses

Bust

A sculpture depicting the head, neck, and upper chest of a figure

Coffer

In architecture, a sunken panel in the ceiling

Composite Column

Column that contains volutes from the Ionic order and acanthus leaves from the Corinthian Order

Continuous Narrative

A work of art that contains several scenes of the same story painted or sculpted in continuous succession

Cubiculum (plural: cubicula)

A roman bedroom flanking an atrium, in Early Christian art, a mortuary chapel in catacomb

Cupola

A small dome rising over the roof of a building, a ___ is achieved by rotating an arch on it’s axis

Foreshortening

A visual effect in which an object is shortened and turned deeper into the picture plane to give the effect in space

Forum (plural: Fora)

A public square in a roman city

Fresco

Painting technique that involves applying water-based paint onto a freshly plastered wall. The paint forms a bond with the plaster that is durable and long lasting

Horror Vacui

Latin for “fear of empty spaces”. A type of artwork in which the entire surface is filled with objects, people, designs, and ornaments in a crowded, sometimes congested way

Impluvium

A rectangular basin in a Roman House that is placed in the open air atrium in order to collect rainwater

Oculus

A circular window in a church, or a round opening at the top of dome

Perspective

Depth and recession in a painting or relief sculpture

Linear Perspective

Three dimensionality in the two-dimensional world of the picture plane

Orthogonals

Lines that draw the viewer back into a common place

Vanishing point

The common place where orthogonals converge

Atmospheric OR arial perspective

Landscapes that give the illusion of distance use this perspective

Pier

A vertical support that holds up an arch or a vault

Spandrel

A triangular space enclosed by the curves of arches

Triclinium

Dining table in ancient Rome that has a couch on three sides for reclining at meals, OR a room containing this

Tuscan Order

An order of ancient architecture featuring slender, smooth columns, that sit on simple bases, no carvings on the frieze or in the capitals

Vault

A roof constructed with arches

Barrel Vault

When an arch is extended into space, forming a tunnel

Groin vault

When two barrel vaults intersect at right angles

Veristic

Sculptures from the Roman Republic characterized by extreme realism of facial features

Annunciation

Mary informed by archangel Gabriel that she is pregnant with son of God

Visitation

Mary and her cousin Elizabeth celebrate their pregnancies

Nativity / Christmas

Jesus born in Bethlehem

Madonna & Child Images

Mary & baby Jesus

Adoration of the Magi

Three kings give gifts and adoration to Jesus

Baptism

St. John the Baptist baptizes Jesus in Jordan River

Calling of Apostles

Jesus gathers followers

Giving the Keys

Jesus gives St. Peter the keys to the Kingdom, first pope

Transfigurations

Jesus shows his apostles that he is God

Last Supper

Jesus shares a meal with his apostles and is arrested after Judas betrays him

Crucification

Jesus in nailed to the cross

Deposition and Lamentation

Jesus removed from the cross and buried

Pieta

Mary holding Jesus’ lifeless body

Resurection

Jesus rises from the dead

Mathew

Evangelist - Gospel writer. Symbolized by man or angel

Mark

Evangelist - Gospel writer. Symbolized by lion

Luke

Evangelist - Gospel writer. Symbolized by ox or calf

John

Evangelist - Gospel writer. Symbolized by eagle

Ambulatory

A passageway around the apse or alter of a church

Apse

Endpoint of a church where the altar is located

Axial Plan

A church with a long nave, side aisles, and an apse for the altar

Basilica

An axially planned church

Catacomb

and underground passageway used for burial

Central Plan

A church having a circular plan with an altar in the middle

Cubicula

Small underground rooms in catacombs serving as mortuary chapels

Gospels

The first four books of the New Testament that chronicle Jesus’ life

Loculi

Openings in the walls of catacombs to receive the dead

Lunette

A crescent-shaped space, sometimes over a doorway, that contains sculpture or painting

Narthex

The closest part of the atrium to the basilica, it serves as a vestibule, or lobby, of a church

Nave

The main aisle of a church

Orant Figure

A figure with its hands raised in prayer

Spoil

The reuse of architectural or sculptural pieces in buildings generally different from their original contexts