Art and Humanities Vocabulary

Flashcards defining key vocabulary terms from the Art and Humanities.

Canon

A body of works considered the most important or influential in a particular field or time period.

Aesthetic

Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.

Humanism

A Renaissance cultural movement that turned away from medieval scholasticism and revived interest in ancient Greek and Roman thought.

Classicism

The principles and style embodied in the literature, art, and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome.

Digital Humanities

An area of study, research, teaching, and creation concerned with the intersection of computing and the disciplines of the humanities.

Mixed Media

Artwork using more than one medium.

Medium

The material or technique with which an artist works.

Abstract

Art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, colors, and textures.

Renaissance

The revival of art and literature under the influence of classical models in the 14th–16th centuries.

Cubism

An early 20th-century style and movement in art, especially painting, in which perspective with a single viewpoint is abandoned and use is made of simple geometric shapes, interlocking planes, and, later, collage.

Surrealism

A 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind.

Impressionism

A style of painting developed in France in the 1860s, characterized by an attempt to depict subjective impressions of light and color in brief broken strokes.

Expressionism

A style of painting, music, or drama in which the artist or writer seeks to express emotional experience rather than impressions of the external world.

Baroque

Relating to a style of European architecture, music, and art of the 17th and 18th centuries that is ornate and extravagant.

Realism

The attitude or practice of accepting a situation as it is and being prepared to deal with it accordingly.

Romanticism

A movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual.

Modernism

A movement in the arts and literature in the early 20th century that rejected traditional styles and values.

Street art

Visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned artwork executed outside of the context of traditional art venues.

Anthropocentrism

The belief that human beings are the most important entity in the universe.

Antiquity

The ancient past, especially the period of classical and other civilizations before the Middle Ages.

Avante-garde

New and unusual or experimental ideas, especially in the arts, or the people introducing them.

Chiaroscuro

The treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting.

Patronage

The support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another.

Curator / curation

A keeper or custodian of a museum or other collection.

Installation / exhibition

The act of installing something; a public display of works of art or items of interest, held in an art gallery or museum or at a trade fair.