abstract
art imagery that departs from recognizable images of the natural world
facade
any side of a building, usually the front or entrance
cast
a sculpture or artwork made by pouring a liquid into a mold
renaissance
a period of culture and artistic change in Europe from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century
altarpiece
an artwork that is placed behind an alter in a church
fresco
a technique in which the artist paints onto freshly applied plaster
artist’s book
a book produced by an artist, usaully an expensive limited edition, often using specialized printing process
baroque
european artistic and architectural style of the late sixteenth to early eighteenth century, characterized by extravagance and emotional intensity
encaustic
a painting medium that primarily uses wax, usually beeswax, as the binding agent
impasto
paint applied in thick layers
stencil
a perforated template allowing ink or paint to pass through to print a design
additive (sculpture)
a sculpting process in which the artist buildings a form by adding material
armature
a framework or skeleton used to support a sculpture
artifact
an object made by a person
bas-relief (low relief)
a sculpture carved with very little depth: the carved subjects rise only slightly above the surface of the work
contrapposto
a pose in sculpture in which the upper part of the body twists in one direction and the lower part in another
high relief
a carved panel where the figures project with a great deal of depth from the background
installation
originally referring to the hanging of pictures and arrangement of objects in an exhibition
lintel
the horizontal beam over the doorway of a portal
patina
surface color or texture on a metal caused by ageing
subtractive (sculpture)
the methodical removal of material to produce a sculptural form
arches
structures, usually curved, that span an opening
base
the projecting series of blocks between the shaft of a column and the surface where it rests
column
freestanding pillar
dome
an evenly curved vault forming the ceiling or roof of a building
flying buttress
an arch built on the exterior of a building that transfers some of the weight of the vault
monumental
having massive or impressive scale
nave
the central space of a cathedral or basilica
organic
having irregular forms and shapes, as though derived from living organisms
pediment
the triangular space, situated above the row of columns, on the facade of a building in the classical style
portico
a roof supported by columns at the entrance to a building
post and lintel construction
a horizontal beam (the lintel) supported on either end
bahaus
design school founded in Weimar, Germany in 1919
boldface
a darker and heavier typeface than its normal instance
calligraphy
the art of emotive or carefully descriptive hand lettering or handwriting
lithography, lithographic
a print process done on a flat, unmarred surface, such as a stone, in which the image is created using oil-based ink with resistance from water
typefaces
the particular unified style of a family of typographical characters
white space
in typography, the empty space around type or other features in a layout
atrium
a central, normally public, interior space, first used in Roman houses
gothic
western European architectural style of the twelfth to sixteenth century, characterized by the use of pointed arches and ornate decoration
masquerade
performance in which participants wear masks and costumes for a ritual or cultural purpose
passion
the arrest, trial, and execution of Jesus Christ, and his sufferings during them
pilaster
a vertical element, rectangular in shape, that provides architectural support for crossing horizontal elements in post and lintel construction; also used for decoration
vaulted
covered with an arch shaped ceiling or roof
catacombs
an underground system of tunnels used for burying and commemorating the dead
stela
upright stone slab decorated with inscriptions or pictoral relief carvings
tympanum
an arched recess above a doorway, often decorated with carvings
prehistoric
dating from the period of human existence before the invention of writing
memento mori
latin phrase that means “remember that you must die”
in artwork, such symbols as skulls, flowers, and clocks are used to represent the transient nature of life on earth
still life
a scene of inanimate objects, such as fruits, flowers, or dead animals
trompe l’oeil
an extreme kind of illusion meant to deceive the viewer that the objects included are real
vanitas
a genre of painting that emphasizes the transient nature of earthly materials and beauty; often seen in still life painting
balustrade
a railing supported by short pillars
foreshortening
a perspective technique that depicts a form - often distorting or reducing it - at an angle that is not parallel to the picture plane, in order to convey the illusion of depth
frieze
the strip that goes around the top of a building, often filled with sculptural ornamentation
satire
work of art that exposes the weaknesses and mistakes of its subjects to ridicule
stucco
a coarse plaster designed to give the appearance of stone
avant garde
early twentieth century emphasis on artistic innovation, which challenged accepted values, traditions, and techniques
canon of proportions
a set of ideal mathematical ratios in art, used to measure the various parts of the human body in relation to one another
hierarchical scale
the use of size to denote the relative importance of subjects in an artwork
The Blue Room
The School of Athens
The Libyan Sibyl
Sculpture of the Lady Sennuwy
Great Court at Temple of Amun-Re
Bauhaus Building
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Apollo, Centaur, and Lapith
fragments of relief sculptures from west pediment of Temple of Zeus
Tlazoleotl Giving Birth to the Maize God
Woman in Pool
Women from Willendorf
Judith Decapitating Holofernes