Art Appreciation Final

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