JMU Maddox Vocab

Paleolithic

Old stone age

Mesolithic

Middle Stone Age

Neolithic

New Stone Age, initiated with the introduction of agriculture

Iconography

Studying the subject matter and conventional symbols in art.

Parietal Art

wall paintings

Therianthrop

Part animal and part human figure

Modeling

Shifting of hue to create a sense of three-dimensionality

High relief

Carving that protrudes from the flat background surface

Post and lintel

Stone structure consisting of two vertical stones and one horizontal stone

Corbel

Roofing technique where each course of stone is projected above the previous layer

Corbeled vault

Stone masonry structure that spans an interior space

Megalith

Large stone structure

Menhir

a single, upright megalith

Alignment

Arrangement of menhirs in lines

Henge

A circular area enclosed by stone or wood by Neolithic peoples

Ziggurat

Tall stepped tower with earthen materials, often housing a shrine.

Registers

Lines used to differentiate space within drawings

Hierarchic scale

Usage of scale to signify importance in a given artwork

Composite view

Way of representing figures so that one part is seen in profile and frontally in another

Votive figure

Sculptures dedicated to gods

Ba

Personality, non-physical properties that make a person unique.

Ka

The life-force or soul of an individual

Akh

Unchanging form of the deceased in the afterlife (Formed from the reunion of the Ba and the Ka)

Relief sculpture

Three dimensional image carved away on a flat background surface.

Chtonic

Pertaining to deities, spirits, or beings that dwell in the underworld.

Rhyton

A vessel in the shape of a figure or an animal, used for drinking or pouring liquids on special occasions.

Ankh

A looped cross signifying life

Necropolis

Large burial area referred to as the city of the dead

Sed festival

Ancient Egyptian festival held every 30 years that establishes the power of the king of Egypt

Sunken relief

Carving that is cut inside the flat background surface

Buon Fresco

Artistic technique where a painting is completed on wet plaster.

Fresco secco

Artistic technique where a painting is completed on dry plaster.

Humanism

Belief that human beings are the center of all things.

Rationalism

Belief that human understanding is the way to understanding the world.

Idealism

Belief in of the pursuance of perfected figures.

Expressionism

Art that aims to evoke emotions rather than portraying reality or eliciting rational responses

Doric

Greek architectural order with a plain capital, simple cornice and a frieze with metopes.

Ionic

Greek architectural order that is more elongated, has a spiral scrolled volute, and a decorative frieze.

Corinthian

Greek architectural order that is a variant of the ionic featuring acanthus leaves on the capital.

Kore

Term that refers to female greek statues.K

Kouros

Term that refers to male greek statues.

Black figure vase

Vases that have black figures painted on a red clay background.

Red figure vase

Vases that have red clay figures on a black background.

Contrapposto

Artistic pose that is set in half tension and half relaxation, giving a sense of movement

Syncretism

Process where artists combine images and ideas from different cultures and give them new meanings

Iconology

The study of interpreting works within social, political, religious, and intellectual contexts

Corbelled Arch

A curved stone masonry structure that spans an open space