AP Art History Fall Vocab

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Ziggurat

A Large, Stepped Platform used in ancient Mesopotamia Supporting a Temple.

Lapis Lazuli

A deep blue semi-precious stone prized for its rich color and used in jewelry and decoration in ancient cultures.

Pharaoh’s pose

A formal, idealized, frontal, rigid, upright stance often depicted in ancient Egyptian art to signify power and divinity, commonly seen in sculptures and paintings of pharaohs.

Iamassu

A mythical creature in Assyrian mythology, depicted as having the body of a bull or lion, wings of an eagle, and a human head, often serving as a protective figure at palace entrances.

Archaic Smile

A slight, enigmatic smile seen on ancient Greek sculptures, particularly from the Archaic period, symbolizing the transition from rigid forms to more naturalistic representations.

Wet drapery

A technique used in sculpture and painting where fabric appears to cling to the body, revealing the body's form beneath, often used to enhance the realism of figures in classical art.

Pieta

A sculptural representation of the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Christ, typically emphasizing themes of mourning and compassion in Christian art.

Barrel vault

A deep, continuous arch forming a tunnel-like structure

Coffers

Recessed panels in a ceiling or dome used to lighten weight or add decoration

Etching

printmaking process that uses acid to bite lines into a metal plate

Nativity

Artistic depiction of the birth of christ

Cubicula

Small rooms in Roman Catacombs used for burials and worship

Lunette

A semicircular wall area or window, often filled with sculpture or painting

Apse

A semicircular recess in a church, usually at the east end behind the alter

Narthex

Entrance or vestibule area of a christioan church

Mosque

Islamic place of worship

Piers

Upright supports for arches or vaults, heavier than columns

Arabesques

Intricate, repeating Islamic designs using floral or geometric patterns

Muqarnas

Decorative, Honeycomb-like vaulting used in Islamic architecture

Horror vacui

“Fear of empty space”, artwork packed densely with detail

Ablution fountain

Water fountain for ritual washing before Islamic prayer

Foreshortening

Technique to dipict an object receding strongly into space

Trompe l’oeil

Painting technique that '“tricks the eye” into seeing 3D realism

Arcadian setting

Idealized, peaceful rural landscape

Vanitas

Still-life genre reminding viewers of the transcience of life and earthly pleasures

Twisted perspective

What an object is shown partly in profile and partly frontal (egyptian art)

Apotropaic

Having the power to ward off evil

Ankh

Egyptian symbol of life

Narrative

Artwork that tells a story

Doric, Ionic, Corinthian

The three classical Greek column syles (simple, scroll-like, ornate)

Contrapposto

A naturalistic stance where weight shifts into one leg, creating relaxed posture

Pediment

Triangular top section of a greek temple Façade, often sculpted

Groin vault

Vault formed by the intersection of two perpendicular barrel vaults

Dome

A rounded vault forming the roof of a building

Engraving

Printmaking technique where lines are carved directly into metal

Annunciation

Depiction of the angel Gabrial announcing to mary she will bear Jesus

Sarcophagi

Stone coffins, often decorated with relief sculpture

Roundel

Circular area used for decoration or imagery

Nave

Central, long aisle of a church where the congregation sits

Aisle

Side passageways parallel to a church nave

Pendentives

Triangle supports that allow a circular dome to rest on a square base

Encaustic

Painting technique using pigment mixed with hot wax

Calligraphy

Decorative handwritting, highly valued in Islamic art

Squinches

Architectural supports in corners to transition from a square room to a dome

Mihrab

Niche in a mosque fwall indicating the direction of mecca

MInbar

Pulpit in a mosque from which sermons are delivered

Linear Perspective

Mathematical system for depicting deph with a single vanishing point

Chiaroscuro

Use of a strong contrast of light and dark to model form

Icon

Sacred image used in christian (especially Byzantine) worship

Impasto

Thick, Textured application of paint

Hierarchy of scale

Art technique where size indicates importance

Hypostyle

Large hall supported by many columns

Relief: Bas, High, Sunken

Sculpture projecting from a backround (low, strong, or carved inward)

Anthropomorphic

Having human characteristics or form

Frieze

Horizontal band of sculpture or decoration

Isocephalism

Figures presented with heads at the same hight

Negative space

Empty areas around an object that define it

Veristic

Hyper-realistic style emphasizing wrinkles, age, and detail

Triptych

Three-panel artwork, often hinged

Vellum

Fine parchment made from calfskin

Catacombs

Underground burial chambers used by early christians

Spolia

Reused architechtural elements in new buildings

Iconoclasm

Destruction or banning of religious images

Transept

The horizontal arm of a cross-shaped church

Minaret

Tall tower of a mosque used for the call to prayer

Axial plan

Building plan organized along a strong central axis

Continuous narritive

Artwork showing multiple scenes of a story in one frame

Tessellations

Repeating, interlocking geometric patterns

Voussoirs

Wedge-shaped stones forming an arch

Icons

Sacred religious images

Atmospheric perspective

Creating depth by fading colors and clarity in the distance

Tenebrism

Dramatic illumination with stark contrast and dominant darkness

Still life

Art depicting inanimate objects

Plein air

Painting outdoors to capture natural light directly