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Abbey
a monastery for monks, or a convent for nuns, and the church that is connected to it
Abstract
works of art that may have form, but have little or no attempt at pictorial representation
Academy
an institution whose main objects include training artists in an academic tradition, ennobling the profession, and holding exhibitions
Acropolis
literally, a “high city,” a Greek temple complex built on a hill over a city
Action painting
an abstract painting in which the artist drips or splatters paint onto a surface like a canvas in order to create the work
Adobe
a building material made from earth, straw, or clay dried in the sun
Agora
a public plaza in a Greek city where commercial, religious, and societal activities are conducted
‘Ahu ‘ula
Hawaiian feather cloaks
Aka
an elephant mask of the Bamileke people of Cameroon
Aerial perspective
see Perspective
Altarpiece
a painted or sculpted panel set atop an altar of a church
Ambulatory
a passageway around the apse or an altar of a church
Amphiprostyle
having four columns in the front and rear of a temple
Amphora
a two-handled ancient Greek storage jar
Anamorphic image
an image that must be viewed by a special means, such as a mirror, in order to be recognized
Andachtsbild
an image used for private contemplation and devotion
Animal style
a medieval art form in which animals are depicted in a stylized and often complicated pattern, usually seen fighting with one another
Ankh
an Egyptian symbol of life
Annunciation
in Christianity, an episode in the Book of Luke 1
Anthropomorphic
having characteristics of the human form, although the form itself is not human
Apadana
an audience hall in a Persian palace
Apocalypse
last book of the Christian Bible, sometimes called Revelations, which details God’s destruction of evil and consequent rising to heaven of the righteous
Apotheosis
a type of painting in which the figures are rising heavenward
Apotropaic
having the power to ward off evil or bad luck
Apse
the end point of a church where the altar is
Aquatint
a kind of print that achieves a watercolor effect by using acids that dissolve onto a copper plate
Arabesque
a flowing, intricate, and symmetrical pattern deriving from floral motifs
Arcade
a series of arches supported by columns; when the arches face a wall and are not self-supporting, they are called a blind arcade
Arcadian
a simple rural and rustic setting used especially in Venetian paintings of the High Renaissance; it is named after Arcadia, a district in Greece to which poets and painters have attributed a rural simplicity and an idyllically untroubled world
Archaeology
the scientific study of ancient people and cultures principally revealed through excavation
Architrave
a plain nonornamented lintel on the entablature
Archivolt
a series of concentric moldings around an arch
Ashlar masonry
carefully cut and grooved stones that support a building without the use of concrete or other kinds of masonry
Assemblage
a three-dimensional work made of various materials such as wood, cloth, paper, and miscellaneous objects
Athena
Greek goddess of war and wisdom; patron of Athens
Atmospheric perspective
see Perspective
Atrium
a courtyard in a Roman house or before a Christian church
Avant-garde
an innovative group of artists who generally reject traditional approaches in favor of a more experimental technique
Axial plan (Basilican plan, Longitudinal plan)
a church with a long nave whose focus is the apse, so-named because it is designed along an axis
Bandolier bag
a large heavily beaded pouch with a slit on top worn at the waist with a strap over the shoulder
Baptistery
in medieval architecture, a separate chapel or building generally in front of a church used for baptisms
Barrel vault
see Vault
Basilica
in Roman architecture, a large axially planned building with a nave, side aisles, and apses. In Christian architecture, an axially planned church with a long nave, side aisles, and an apse for the altar
Bas-relief
a very shallow relief sculpture
Bay
a vertical section of a church that is embraced by a set of columns and is usually composed of arches and aligned windows
Bent-axis
an architectural plan in which an approach to a building requires an angular change of direction, as opposed to a direct and straight entry
Bi
a round ceremonial disk found in ancient Chinese tombs; characterized by having a circular hole in the center, which may have symbolized heaven
Biombos
folding free-standing screens
Biomorphism
a movement that stresses organic shapes that hint at natural forms
Bodhisattva
a deity who refrains from entering nirvana to help others
Bottega
the studio of an Italian artist
Buddha
a fully enlightened being; there are many Buddhas, the most famous of whom is Sakyamuni, also known as Gautama or Siddhartha
Bundu
masks used by the women’s Sande society to bring girls into puberty
Bust
a sculpture depicting a head, neck, and upper chest of a figure
Byeri
in the art of the Fang people, a reliquary guardian figure
Calligraphy
decorative or beautiful handwriting
Calotype
a type of early photograph, developed by William H. F. Talbot, that is characterized by its grainy quality; a calotype is considered the forefather of all photography because it produces both a positive and a negative image
Camera obscura
(Latin, meaning “dark room”) a box with a lens which captures light and casts an image on the opposite side
Caprice
usually a work of art that is an architectural fantasy; more broadly any work that has a fantasy element
Cantilever
a projecting beam that is attached to a building at one end and suspended in the air at the other
Canvas
a heavy woven material used as the surface of a painting; first widely used in Venice
Capital
the top element of a column
Caricature
a drawing that uses distortion or exaggeration of someone’s physical features or apparel in order to make that person look foolish
Caryatid
a column in a building that is shaped like a female figure
Cassone
a trunk intended for storage of clothing for a wife’s trousseau
Casta paintings
paintings from New Spain showing people of mixed races
Catacomb
an underground passageway used for burial
Cathedral
the principal church of a diocese, where a bishop sits
Cella
the main room of a temple where the god is housed
Central plan
a building having a circular plan with the altar in the middle
Chacmool
a Mayan figure that is half-sitting and half-lying on its back
Chalice
a cup containing wine used in a Christian ceremony
Chapter house
a building next to a church used for meetings
Chasing
to ornament metal by indenting into a surface with a hammer
Chevet
the east end of a Gothic church
Chiaroscuro
a gradual transition from light to dark in a painting; forms are not determined by sharp outlines, but by the meeting of lighter and darker areas
Choir
a space in a church between the transept and the apse for a choir or clergymen
Cinquecento
the 1500s, or sixteenth century, in Italian art
Cire perdue
the lost-wax process. A bronze casting method in which a figure is modeled in clay and covered with wax and then recovered with clay. When fired in a kiln, the wax melts away leaving a channel between the two layers of clay that can be used as a mold for liquid metal
Clerestory
the third, or window, story of a church; also, a roof that rises above lower roofs and thus has window space beneath
Cloissonné
enamelwork in which colored areas are separated by thin bands of metal, usually gold or bronze
Close
an enclosed gardenlike area around a cathedral
Codex
a manuscript book
Coffer
in architecture, a sunken panel in a ceiling
Coiling
a method of creating pottery in which a rope-like strand of clay is wrapped and layered into a shape before being fired in a kiln
Collage
a composition made by pasting together different items onto a flat surface
Colophon
a commentary on the end panel of a Chinese scroll; 2) an inscription at the end of a manuscript containing relevant information on its publication
Color field
a style of abstract painting characterized by simple shapes and monochromatic color
Composite column
one that contains a combination of volutes from the Ionic order and acanthus leaves from the Corinthian order
Compound pier
a pier that appears to be a group or gathering of smaller piers put together
Confucianism
a philosophical belief begun by Confucius that stresses education, devotion to family, mutual respect, and traditional culture
Cong
a tubular object with a circular hole cut into a square-like cross section
Continuous narrative
a work of art that contains several scenes of the same story painted or sculpted in continuous succession
Contrapposto
a graceful arrangement of the body based on tilted shoulders and hips and bent knees
Corbel arch
a vault formed by layers of stone that gradually grow closer together as they rise until they eventually meet
Corinthian
an order of ancient Greek architecture similar to the Ionic, except that the capitals are carved in tiers of leaves
Coyolxauhqui
an Aztec moon goddess whose name means “Golden Bells”
Cornice
a projecting ledge over a wall
Cubiculum
a Roman bedroom flanking an atrium; in Early Christian art, a mortuary chapel in a catacomb
Cuneiform
a system of writing in which the strokes are formed in a wedge or arrowhead shape
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Flashcard (85)