Art History Vocabulary: Prehistoric to Classical Greek

Vocabulary flashcards covering Prehistoric to Classical Greek art concepts and terms as described in the notes.

Prehistoric Era

The period before writing; art mainly cave paintings used to communicate or for ceremonial purposes, providing clues to early life and culture.

Cave paintings

Paintings found in caves, possibly used for communication or religious ceremonies; often more archaeological artifacts than exact portraits of early art.

Great Hall of the Bulls

A major prehistoric cave-painting area with about 2,000 figures of animals, humans, and abstract designs; includes sections like the Great Hall, Lateral Passage, and Shaft of the Dead Man; discovered in 1940.

Ancient Egypt paintings

Art intended to make the afterlife pleasant; depicts the journey to the underworld and protective deities; stylized with profile views; colors derived from mineral pigments (red, black, blue, gold, green) that resist sunlight.

Tomb / Wall painting

Paintings in tombs or on walls using fresco, tempera, or encaustic; sharp, flatly outlined style; few survive due to water-based materials; example: Tomb of the Diver (Paestum, 480 BCE).

Panel painting

Paintings on flat wooden panels; can be a single piece or multiple panels; earliest known panel painting is the Pitsa Panel (540–530 BCE).

Pitsa Panel

Earliest known panel painting from the Archaic Period, dated 540–530 BCE.

Classical Greek Era

Greek art of the classical period, commonly found on vases, panels, and tombs; subjects include battles, mythological figures, and daily life.

Fresco

Painting on wet plaster using water-based pigments; durable, matte, ideal for murals.

Encaustic

Painting method using hot wax mixed with pigments; originally developed by Greek shipbuilders for hulls, later used in art.

Kerch Style (Kerch Vases)

Red-figured pottery style from Kerch; shapes include pelike, lekanis, lebes gamikos, and krater.

Pelike

A vase shape in Kerch pottery; a wine container.

Lekanis

A low bowl with two horizontal handles and a broad foot in Kerch vase shapes.

Lebes gamikos

A Kerch vase with high handles and a lid used for bridal bath.

Krater

A large vase used for mixing wine and water in ancient Greek art.

Polychromy

The use of multiple colors in artwork; notable in ancient Greek decoration.

Judgement of Paris

A classical Greek myth depicted in art, dating to around 370–330 BC.

Tomb of the Diver

A Paestum tomb (480 BCE) famed for its wall fresco painting depicting a diver.