Ap Art History Unit 18-20 14th-15th European Art VOCAB

Alberti's De Re Aedificatoria (On Architecture)

Architectural treatise advocating for a system of ideal proportions utilizing classical elements

Altarpiece

A painted and/or sculpted panel set on an altar of a church or a private space

Andachtsbild

German for devotional image; aid in prayer and contemplation

Atmospheric perspective

Shows the natural fuzzying that occurs when the eye moves back into a landscape; typically shown utilizing soft gray and blue

Buon fresco

True or wet fresco; paint is applied when plaster is wet; durable but artist must paint quickly

Chapter house

A building next to a church used for clergy meetings

Chiaroscuro

Use of strong contrasts between light and dark, typically for modeling

Cloister

A rectangular open-air monastery courtyard with a covered arcade surrounding it

Disguised symbolism

Common place objects full of religious significance; requires an iconographic reading of the artwork

Donor

A patron of a work of art; often seen in the work they commissioned

Giornata

Literally "a day's work"; used in buon fresco painting and denotes how much painting can be done in a single day as the artist is limited by needed to use plaster while it is fresh

Glazes

Thin transparent layers placed over a painting to alter how colors appear

Haggadah

Literally "narration"; specifically, a book containing the Jewish story of Passover and the ritual of the Seder

Heroic nudity

A figure's nudity is an indication of its status as hero or semi-divine being

Humanism

In the Renaissance, an emphasis on education and on expanding knowledge (especially of classical antiquity), the exploration of individual potential and a desire to excel, and a commitment to civic responsibility and moral duty

Iconography

Identification and interpretation of symbols or objects within an image

Medici

Florentine family of bankers and moneylenders; major patrons of Florentine art

Modeling

Manipulation of light and shade to reveal three-dimensionality

Oil paint

Pigment mixed with oil, typically linseed; oil dries slowly allowing for easier corrections and additions; fine detail and vibrant color can be achieved

Passover

An eight-day Jewish holiday that commemorates the exodus of Jews from Egypt under Moses' leadership

Piano nobile

(French: noble floor); principle or main floor in a house; in America = the second floor

Pieta

A painted or sculpted representation of the Virgin Mary mourning over the dead body of Christ

Pietra serena

Grey stone typical of Italian Renaissance churches

Pilasters

Flattened columns that are attached to a wall that serve no structural purpose and are simply decorative

Rusticated

Deeply and roughly incised stone to create a rough appearance and texture

Seder

A ceremonial meal celebrated at the beginning of Passover that commemorates the Jewish flight from Egypt; marked by a reading of the Haggadah

Stringcourse

A raised horizontal band on a building that visually denotes floors

Tempera

Pigment mixed with egg-yolk; known for its quick drying rate and flat opaque color

Triptych

A three-paneled painting or altarpiece

Typology

The study and interpretation of stories and symbols in the Bible, especially the relationship between Old and New Testament (specifically, that the New Testament fulfills prophecies in the Old Testament)

Wet-in-wet

Painting technique with oil paint where layers of wet paint are applied to previously administered layers of wet paint; this allows the artist to mix colors on the canvas and create glazes