Art History Vocab Terms

arch

curved structure supporting weight

keystone

central wedge shaped stone in arches

barrel vault

move an arch on its axis

coffer

indentation in ceiling (structural or decorative)

forum/fora

public squares in ancient roman cities

oculus

opening in roof of building to let light and air in

Pax Augustae/Ara pacis Augustae

Augustan Peace/Altar of Augustan Peace

Pantheon

temple dedicated to all the Gods

colosseum

the place of the giant sculpture

velarium

large, retractable awning used in ancient roman theaters/amphitheaters

clerestory

series of windows/openings to provide light and air without a view

marmoream relinquo, quam latericiam accepi

I returned as marble, what I received as brick.

theater/amphitheater

two theaters joined together

hypocaust

type of heating used in bathhouses

vitruvius

roman architect

dome

rotate arch on center axis

pendentive

curved triangle of vaulting formed by the intersection of a dome with supporting arches

squinch

small arch built across interior corner of a square tower to support a superstructure

lacta alea est

The die is cast.

prima inter pares

architects embedded directly into development teams

res publica

state, republic, commonwealth

republic

form of government

spqr

the senate and the people of rome

praenomen

personal first name of a Roman citizen

nomen

family to which you belong

cognomen

third personal name given to roman citizens

gens

group of families in rome that shared a common name

rubicon

small river that separates italy from france

phidias/phidian

athenian architect/architecture style

acropolis

high city

pericles

greek political leader

parthenon

marble temple on athenian acropolis

athena parthenogenesis

athena of the virgin birth

chryselephantine

something made of gold and ivory

erechtheum

ancient greek temple on north side of the acropolis of athens

thermopylae/propylaea

narrow, coastal pass historically in eastern greece/gateway to acropolis

kallikrates

architect

iktinos

architects

entasis

slight convex curve in the shaft of a column

caryatid

sculptural column (female figure as a column)

triglyph

a tablet in a doric frieze with 3 vertical grooves

metope

square space between triglyphs in a doric frieze

guttae

little cubes beneath the triglyph

frieze

horizontal; consists of triglyph and metope; continuous or alternating

capital

uppermost member of a column acting as a decorative/structural transition between the vertical shaft and the load it supports

shaft

vertical/central portion of a column located between the base and capital

base

lowest supporting part of a column

volute

spiral, scroll-like ornament that is a hallmark of architecture, found in capitals of ionic, corinthian columns

skeuomorph

design element/feature that is a reconstruction of something with an earlier use

doric

characterized by sturdy, fluted columns with plain circular capitals and no base, sitting directly on the temple floor

ionic

characterized by slender, elegant columns topped by capitals with twin volutes

corinthian

tall, slender columns topped with elaborate capitals featuring stylized acanthus leaves and scrolls

cella

central, inner chamber of an ancient greek or roman temple

temenos

sacred precinct or delineated plot of land cut off and set apart for specialized, often religious, use

pronaos

inner covered entrance porch or vestibule of an ancient greek or roman temple

humanism

a design philosophy prioritizing human needs, experiences, and well-being over pure functionality or, in some cases, aesthetics

neo-platonism

revived ideals of plato

platonic ideal

there is a perfect from for every object

scientific perspective

portraying 3D on a 2D surface

symmetry

balanced

proportion

relationship of height to width to diameter

loggia

a covered exterior gallery or corridor, typically located on the ground or upper floor of a building, featuring an outer wall that is open to the elements

rustication

an architectural masonry technique featuring roughened or textured stone blocks separated by deeply cut, prominent joints (chamfered or recessed)

vermiculation

a decorative form of masonry rustication where stone surfaces are carved with irregular, wavy grooves resembling worm tracks

tempietto

italian for little temple; small, circular domed chapel designed by Donato Bramante, completed around 1502 in the courtyard of San Pietro in Montorio, Rome

vitruvian man

illustrates the Renaissance belief that architecture should mirror the perfect, proportional harmony of the human body, acting as a link between earthly (square) and divine (circle) perfection

perspectival correction

the technique of adjusting, editing, or photographing a building to eliminate converging verticals; the optical illusion where vertical lines (like walls or columns) appear to lean inward or converge toward a single point when looking up

forced perspective

a design technique using optical illusions to manipulate human perception, making structures appear taller, larger, or more distant than they actually are

cortile de belvedere

feature of vatican palace courtyard

pilgrimage

idea of traveling to a specific site for a reason (religious)

santiago (st. james)

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, a masterwork of Romanesque style (1075–1211) with later Baroque additions. It symbolizes the ultimate pilgrimage destination

san miniato al monte

church; a masterpiece of Florentine Romanesque architecture, representing a harmonious blend of Classical, Early Christian, and Byzantine influences

voussoir

a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, which is used in building an arch or vault

tympanum

a vertical, decorative wall surface over an entrance, doorway, or window, typically located between the lintel and an arch or pediment

lintel

a horizontal beam spanning the top of doors, windows, or fireplaces, serving as a load-bearing structural element

trumeau

a vertical stone pillar, pier, or post that divides a large, central doorway or portal in medieval architecture, typically supporting the horizontal lintel above it

jamb

the vertical side post or lining that forms the frame of a doorway, window, or other opening