Art History Vocab

Baptism

Entrance to the Christian faith

Classicism

Ancient Greek and Roman art style

Contrapposto

Motion is shown by one leg holding the weight with the other bent

Patron

The commissioner of the Art piece

Atmospheric Perspective

Technique to create the illusion of depth

Sfumato

Technique of allowing tones and colors to blend, creating a blurry haze

Sapa Inca

Incan Ruler

Kancha

Incan Walled enclosures with buildings inside

Sacsaywaman

Incan Religious complex

Ceque System

Incan network of pathways

Huacas

Places or objects that hold sacred/spiritual value

Capac Hucha

Sacrificial ceremony for the Inca, usually including children

Triptych

Three-paneled piece

Annunciation

Moment Mary is told she’s pregnant with Jesus

Memento Mori

Remember death, a reminder of death

Grisaille

Painting technique using only shades of grey

Painterly

When you’re able to see the brush strokes on the canvas

Tenebrism

Dark shadowy scene with dramatically highlighted elements

Impasto

Physical buildup of paint on the surface

Genre scene

Scene of daily life

Oba

Yoruba divine king

Oduduwa

Deity of the Yoruba, the first ever king

Ibeji

Yoruban twin figurines

Egungun

Yoruba masquerade tradition to commune with ancestors to fix real world issues

Gelede

Society by men to honor women through performances

Asanetehen

King of the Asante empire

Kente Cloth

Clothing that the Asante royal family can wear (and only them)

Rococo

Movement in France based on northern baroque, its decorative, curvy, and ornamental

Paris Salon

Place to submit art to in france

Neoclassicism

Revival of classicism using subdued colors and stiller scenes

Orientalism

White male fantasy of the Middle East/foreign nations people

Northern Ren

Anatomical, calm, idealized, still

Baroque

Dynamic, naturalism

Avante-Garde

New + Unusual ideas/excitements in the arts

Photomontage

cut paper pasted and then photographed

Premetivism

Feteshisation of non-western culture in art

Reportage

Recording modern events as they happen

salon does refuses

Where rejected paintings were shown also hosted by the salon

En plein air

In the open air

Haussmannization

Forceful urbanization of Paris led under napoleon III