art history terms

Author Page

A decorated page in a manuscript highlighting the author, often with their portrait or symbolic imagery.

Canon Table

A reference table in illuminated manuscripts linking corresponding Gospel passages.

Carpet Page

A fully decorated page in an illuminated manuscript, often geometric or interlaced, resembling a woven carpet.

Codex

An ancient manuscript in book form, made of bound leaves rather than a scroll.

Colophon

A note at the end of a manuscript providing information about its production, such as the scribe’s name or date.

Evangelist Symbols

Iconography representing the Four Evangelists: Matthew (winged man), Mark (lion), Luke (ox), and John (eagle).

Folio

A single sheet of a manuscript, consisting of a recto (front) and verso (back) side.

Gospels

The four books of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that recount Jesus’ life and teachings.

Illuminated Manuscript

A handwritten text adorned with elaborate decorations, gold leaf, and miniature illustrations.

Initial Page

A page with a large, elaborate letter marking the start of a text or section.

Parchment

Writing material made from the treated skin of sheep or goats.

Psalter

A book containing the Psalms from the Bible, often illuminated for devotional use.

Scriptoria/Scriptorium

Monastic workshops where scribes copied and illustrated manuscripts.

Vellum

High-quality parchment made from calfskin.

Verso/Recto

The back (verso) and front (recto) sides of a folio.

Cabochon

A gemstone polished but not faceted, often used in medieval jewelry.

Cames

Lead strips that join pieces of colored glass in stained glass windows.

Cloisonné

A metalwork technique where compartments (cloisons) are filled with enamel or gemstones.

Embroidery

Decorative designs stitched onto fabric using thread and a needle.

Enamel

A decorative technique using melted glass applied to a surface, often metal or ceramics.

Gadrooning

Ornamental convex patterns often seen in metalwork or wood carving.

Grisaille

A monochromatic painting technique, often using shades of gray to mimic sculpture.

Heraldic Motif

Decorative patterns or symbols resembling those on coats of arms.

Hierarchy of Scale

An artistic convention where the size of figures denotes their importance.

High Cross

A large, freestanding Christian cross, often elaborately carved, from the medieval period.

Lancet Window

A tall, narrow window with a pointed arch, commonly used in Gothic architecture.

Repoussé

A metalworking technique where designs are hammered into relief from the reverse side.

Relics

Physical remains or objects associated with saints or holy figures, venerated in religious contexts.

Reliquary

A container used to hold and display sacred relics.

Rose Window

A circular stained-glass window with radiating patterns, typical of Gothic cathedrals.

Stained Glass

Colored glass used in windows, often depicting biblical scenes or abstract designs.

Tapestry

A woven textile featuring decorative designs or scenes, hung on walls for decoration or insulation.

Tracery

Ornamental stonework in Gothic windows, divided into bar tracery (slender supports) and plate tracery (heavier, pierced stone panels).

Carolingian

Art of the Carolingian Empire (8th–9th centuries), reviving Roman classical forms.

Celtic

Art associated with early medieval Ireland and Britain, characterized by intricate patterns and interlacing.

Gothic

Architectural and artistic style (12th–16th centuries) with pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses.

Hiberno-Saxon

Early medieval art from Ireland and Britain, combining Celtic and Anglo-Saxon styles.

Insular

Early medieval art of the British Isles, marked by intricate decoration and illuminated manuscripts.

Merovingian

Early medieval Frankish art (5th–8th centuries), notable for abstract and ornamental designs.

Mozarabic

Art of Christians living under Islamic rule in medieval Spain, blending Islamic and Christian styles.

Ottonian

Early medieval art (10th–11th centuries) associated with the Holy Roman Empire, emphasizing monumental forms.

Romanesque

Medieval art (11th–12th centuries) known for its massive architecture, round arches, and rich sculpture.

Viking/Norseman

Art of the Scandinavian Vikings, featuring shipbuilding, intricate metalwork, and runestones.

Rayonnant

A phase of Gothic architecture focusing on elaborate tracery and light-filled interiors.

Flamboyant

Late Gothic style marked by intricate, flame-like tracery and elaborate ornamentation.

The Crusades

Medieval religious wars (11th–13th centuries) aiming to reclaim the Holy Land from Islamic rule.

Feudalism

A medieval social system based on a hierarchy of lords and vassals exchanging land for service.

Pilgrimage

A religious journey to a sacred site, often to venerate relics or seek spiritual benefits.

Monasticism

A religious lifestyle of asceticism and community living, associated with Benedictines (rule of St. Benedict) and Cistercians (emphasizing simplicity).

Ambulatory

A walkway around the apse of a church, allowing access to chapels.

Archivolt

Curved moldings framing an arch, often decorated in Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

Apse

A semicircular recess in a church, usually at the east end, housing the altar.

Bay

A vertical division of a building’s interior or exterior, marked by columns or arches.

Buttress

A projecting support for walls, strengthening against lateral forces.

Cathedral

A church that serves as the seat of a bishop.

Chapter House

A meeting room for monks or clergy in a monastery or cathedral.

Choir

The area of a church where clergy and choir members sit, often near the altar.

Clerestory

The upper level of a church with windows, above the aisles, to admit light.

Cloister

A covered walkway in a monastery, enclosing a courtyard.

Compound Pier

A clustered column or pier composed of shafts and supports, typical of Gothic architecture.

Crossing

The area where the nave and transept intersect in a church.

Crossing Tower

A tower located above the crossing of a church.

Cruciform

A cross-shaped architectural plan.

Elevation

The vertical face of a building or the arrangement of its parts.

Finials

Decorative elements that terminate spires or pinnacles.

Flying Buttress

An external support arch transferring roof weight to a pier away from the wall.

Gable

A triangular portion of a wall, often seen at the end of a roof.

Historiated Capital

A column capital carved with narrative scenes.

Jambs

Vertical supports flanking a doorway or window, often sculpted in Gothic architecture.

Lintel

A horizontal beam spanning an opening, supporting weight above it.

Narthex

The entrance or lobby area of a church, preceding the nave.

Nave

The central longitudinal space of a church, flanked by aisles.

Nave Arcade

A series of arches separating the nave from the aisles.

Pier

A vertical support for arches, walls, or other structures.

Pinnacles

Decorative pointed elements on buttresses or spires, enhancing stability and aesthetics.

Portal

A grand, often elaborately decorated, entrance to a building.

Radiating Chapel

Small chapels projecting from the ambulatory of a church.

Refectory

A dining hall in a monastery or convent.

Ribs (Transverse and Diagonal)

Structural elements of a vault forming its framework.

Springer

The lowest stone of an arch or rib, where it begins to rise.

Transept

The arms of a cross-shaped church, perpendicular to the nave.

Triforium

A gallery or arcade above the nave arcade and below the clerestory.

Trumeau

A central post supporting the lintel of a portal.

Tympanum

A sculpted panel above a doorway, within an arch.

Vault (Barrel, Groin, Rib)

Arched ceiling.