renaissance and mannerism in europe

Cinquecento

the 16th century in Italy.

Mannerism

a style of the later Renaissance that emphasized “artifice”, often involving contrived imagery, complexity, fantasy, and polish.

Parchment

paper prepared from the skins of lambs.

Vellum

paper prepared from the skins of calves.

Disegno

the Italian word for “drawing” and “design”.

Martyrium

a Christian shrine or church built over the tomb of a martyr or in a place sanctified by martyrdom.

Colorito

refers to painted or colored pieces.

Poesia

paintings meant to operate like poetry.

Pastoral

a genre of art that depicts an idealized form of the shepherd’s lifestyle.

Impasto

rough, uneven patches of pigment built up like paste.

Architraves

decorative moldings placed around the frame of a doorway or window to conceal the gap between the frame and the wall.

Keystones

a wedge-shaped piece at the crown of an arch that locks other pieces in place.

Voussoirs

wedge-shaped or tapered stones used to construct an arch. 

Triglyphs

tablets in a Doric frieze with three vertical grooves.

Protestant Reformation

a 16th-century movement that broke apart the Catholic Europe and thus created new Christian denominations like Protestantism.

Ninetyfive Theses

an essay where Martin Luther listed his objections to Catholic practices

Iconoclasm

the destruction of religious artworks.

Vanitas

describes paintings that include references to death.

Anamorphic image

an image distortion that requires a special device or looking at the painting at an acute angle to recognize it.

Chateau

luxurious country residences for French royalty, typically developed from medieval castles.