Art History Survey – Prehistory to Gothic

Vocabulary flashcards covering principal terms from Prehistoric through Gothic art as presented in the lecture notes.

Artist

Creator focused on aesthetics and the pursuit of beauty.

Artisan

Maker of functional objects; trained in manual skill or a trade.

Prehistoric

Period before recorded history began.

Paleolithic

Old Stone Age; earliest phase of human history.

Mesolithic

Middle Stone Age, transitional era between Paleo- and Neolithic.

Neolithic

New Stone Age marked by agriculture and permanent structures.

Megalith

Huge block of stone used in prehistoric monuments.

Menhir

Upright single standing stone; literally “long stone.”

Post-and-Lintel

Two vertical stones supporting a horizontal capstone.

Dolmen

Table-like tomb of vertical stones topped by a single slab.

Cromlech

Circle of standing megaliths; example: Stonehenge.

Pigment

Colored powder from organic or mineral sources used in paint.

Medium (Binder)

Liquid that binds pigment to a surface (e.g., oil, blood, water).

Intaglio (Prehistoric)

Sculpture produced by incised lines cut into a surface.

Relief Sculpture

Carving that remains attached to its background stone.

Sculpture in the Round

Freestanding work meant to be viewed 360°.

Lascaux

French cave site famous for Paleolithic paintings of bison, wounded man, rhino.

Chauvet

1994-discovered French cave with lions & bison; 72 % animals not hunted.

Altamira

Spanish cave (found 1878) noted for ceiling bison images.

Mesopotamia

“Land between the rivers” Tigris and Euphrates.

Additive Sculpture

Modeling with clay; forms built up rather than carved away.

Stele

Upright marker stone, often inscribed or carved.

Cuneiform

Mesopotamian wedge-shaped writing system.

Ziggurat

Mesopotamian stepped temple platform.

Persepolis

Name meaning “Persian city,” Achaemenid capital complex.

Cella (Near East)

Central rectangular hall / main sanctuary of a temple.

Glazed Brick

Brick coated with thin layer of glassy color; e.g., Ishtar Gate.

Inlaid

Material set into a surface for decoration.

Hierarchical Proportion

Art convention that size equals social status.

Tigris River

Eastern river framing Mesopotamia.

Euphrates River

Western river framing Mesopotamia.

Ka

In Egyptian belief, the soul or life force.

Pharaoh

Egyptian god-king ruler.

Hieroglyphs

Egyptian pictographic writing system.

Rosetta Stone

Trilingual 1799 find that unlocked hieroglyphic translation.

Memphis (Egypt)

Capital of Lower (northern) Egypt.

Thebes

Capital of Upper (southern) Egypt.

Sarcophagus

Stone coffin, often decorated.

Necropolis

“City of the dead”; large cemetery complex.

Mastaba

Flat-topped, sloped-sided rectangular tomb (means “bench”).

Imhotep

First recorded architect; designer of Djoser’s Step Pyramid.

Corbelled Arch

Arch formed by overlapping stones progressively projecting inward.

Obelisk

Tall tapering stone shaft capped by small pyramidion.

Pylon

Massive gateway walls of Egyptian temples.

Head of Nefertiti

Iconic balanced Amarna-period bust by Thutmose.

Sakkara

Site of the Step Pyramid opposite Memphis.

Giza

Location of Khufu, Khafre & Menkaure pyramids.

Sphinx

Lion-bodied, human-headed guardian monument at Giza.

Valley of the Kings

Cliff-cut royal necropolis opposite Thebes.

Karnak

Huge New Kingdom temple complex near Luxor.

Lotus

Symbol of Upper Egypt.

Papyrus (symbol)

Emblem of Lower Egypt.

Amarna Period

Artistic era under Akhenaten marked by realism and monotheism.

Akhenaten

Pharaoh who worshipped Aten and altered art/style.

Nefertiti

Akhenaten’s queen; name means “a beautiful woman has come.”

Tutankhamen

Boy-king who restored Amun temples; famous intact tomb.

Cycladic Culture

Aegean Bronze Age island civilization named for island circle.

Minoan Culture

Cretan civilization named after legendary King Minos.

Mycenaean Culture

Mainland Greek Bronze Age culture; citadel of Agamemnon.

Tholos

Beehive-shaped corbelled tomb; e.g., Treasury of Atreus.

Lion Gate

Mycenae’s monumental corbelled entrance with relief triangle.

Stylobate

Top step of a Greek temple platform on which columns stand.

Stereobate

Lower steps of a Greek temple platform.

Doric Order

Earliest, simplest, most masculine Greek architectural order.

Ionic Order

Slender, elegant order with volute capitals.

Corinthian Order

Most elaborate Greek order with acanthus-leaf capital.

Base (Column)

Lower molding of Ionic & Corinthian columns.

Shaft

Main vertical column element, usually fluted.

Capital

Decorative top of a column supporting entablature.

Echinus

Convex cushion-like lower part of Doric capital.

Abacus

Square slab atop a capital.

Caryatid

Female figure column, as on Erechtheum porch.

Atlas (Telamon)

Male figure used as architectural support.

Entablature

Horizontal superstructure: architrave, frieze, cornice.

Architrave

Lowest entablature band directly on capitals.

Frieze

Middle entablature band; sculpted or plain.

Triglyph

Doric frieze block with three vertical grooves.

Metope

Square panel between triglyphs, often sculpted.

Cornice

Projecting uppermost entablature molding.

Pediment

Triangular gable end above entablature, usually sculpted.

Flutes (Column)

Vertical grooves giving slender appearance.

Entasis

Subtle outward bulge correcting optical illusion of concavity.

Cella (Greek)

Inner chamber of a classical temple housing deity statue.

Acropolis

High city; fortified hill with main temples (e.g., Athens).

Propylaea

Monumental gateway to the Acropolis.

Parthenon

Doric temple to Athena Parthenos; optical refinements throughout.

Erechtheum

Ionic multiple-shrine temple; famous Caryatid porch.

Temple of Athena Nike

Small Ionic victory temple on Acropolis wall.

Archaic Period (Greek)

Earliest Greek sculpture era, rigid frontal figures.

Kore

Archaic clothed maiden statue.

Kouros

Archaic standing nude male youth.

Classical Period (Greek)

Era of idealized balance, serenity, and contrapposto.

Contrapposto

Balanced asymmetrical pose with weight on one leg.

Doryphoros

“Spear Bearer” statue by Polykleitos exemplifying contrapposto.

Hellenistic Period

Late Greek era of heightened emotion, realism, movement.

Syncretism (Roman)

Blending diverse elements to create new art with strong message.

Arch (Roman)

Curved structural span perfected by Romans.

Centering

Temporary wooden framework for building arches.

Voussoir

Wedge-shaped stone forming an arch.

Keystone

Top central voussoir locking an arch.