ahis 102 unit 1 terms

tuscany

region that is associated with the renaissance

classical

highly caried styles, all from greco-roman antiquity

composition

way in which the various elements are arranged, or placed together in a work of art

ornament

anything that is added to give greater beauty (not necessary)

antithesis

a juxtaposition of opposites

imitation

copying the work of another to learn the basics of artistic forms and styles

emulation

no longer just copying, but mastering to make it your own

renaissance

french for rebirth; rebirth of classical greek and roman art

altarpiece

sculpted/painted decoration on top or behind an ltar

patron

person/corporate body that places an order for a work of art or architecture

expiation

atoning/making up for an offense committed against God or one's neighbor

monumentality

appearance of largeness or massiveness

transubstantiation

idea of communion representing christ's blood and body

elevation of the host

elevating communion bread

chrysography

writing or marking in gold

italo-bycantine

style from byzantium thats used in italy

polyptych

painting/sculpture consisting of 4+ individual panels joined together

foreshortening

rotating a figure to take up less space; length is implied but not shown

difficulta

difficult for an artist to do correcrlt and difficult to viewer because it is a change within the painting

guilds

professional association; sets up standards for each profession

contrapposto

a pose in which a figure's weight rests on one leg while the other leg is at rest, this implies beginning of movement

linear perspective

compositional device used for depicting architecture, tiled placement, etc., in which all orthogonal, if extended, would converge at a single point on the horizon line

sfumato

at the edge between fog and clean air; that invisible edge; conveys softness

stiplling

golden dots that suggests sparkle/light on a material

atmospheric perspective

creating illusion of depth by reducing the contrast between light and dark on objects that one wishes to suggest are further away

optical modeling

modeling of an object in accordance with how it appears to sight rather than in accordance with known characteristics

donor potrait

portrait included in a work of religious art, depicting the person who commissioned the work

sacra conversazione

type of altarpiece in which saints from different epochs are posed around, and occupy the same illusionistic space as the virgin and child

di sotto is su

"fro m below, looking upwards"; a method of illusionistic ceiling painting using perspective and extreme forshortening to create a convincing illusion

sculpture in the round

freestanding figures that are carved or modeled in 3D

relief sculpture

carved into a face of stone; gives illusion of 3D instead of actually being 3D

high relief

cut deeplu into stone; gives strong illusion of 3D

undercutting

excavating behind figures, giving impression of shadow

low relief

shallow cut into stone; small illusion of 3D

egg tempura paint

pigment particles suspended in egg yolk

gilding

taking patches of thing, gold leaf and applying it to a painting

chasing

final step of bronze sculpting where you polish and include any details

sinopia

drawing for a fresco made oon rough plaster

day's work (giornata)

a patch of the fine plaster layer over the drawing

horizon line

literal line across which the horizon travels

vanishing point

point on horizon line that corresponds to the position of the ideal viewer in front of the painting

orthogonals

parallel lines perpendicular to the picture plane that appear to merge at the vanishing point

subjectivity

how someone's judgement is shaped by personal opinions and feelings

transversals

parallel horizontal lines that indicate a constant unit of measurement plotted into virtual space

facade

exterior wall on the front of a building; structure's public "face"

bay

division of the interior or exterior of a church, often of units defined by vaults/separated by arches

plan

similar to a blueprint of a building; shows architecture

nave

broad central alley leading from entrance to high altar

aisle

parallel alleys on either side of the nave, generally lower and narrower than it

transept

transverse "arm" of the church, perpendicular to the nave

crossing

intersection of the nave and the transept, often crowned by a done or tower

centering

wooden framework used to construct an arch, vault, or dome (structures which are not self-supporting during their construction)

modularity and proportion

describes the architecture of Brunelleschi, who used a square module as the basic unit for his church plans; made all parts of the church proportional to each other

classical order

parts of temple elevation may be in different proportional ratios to one another and may be decorated with different ornaments, so the different types of proportional systems, seen in the relationships between the parts of the column and entablature came to be known as orders

vitruvius

ancient roman architect and architecture theorist

latin cross

type of church plan in which the nave is longer than the transept, producing three short arms and one long arm