Modern Humanities Midterm Terms

studied byStudied by 0 people
0.0(0)
learn
LearnA personalized and smart learning plan
exam
Practice TestTake a test on your terms and definitions
spaced repetition
Spaced RepetitionScientifically backed study method
heart puzzle
Matching GameHow quick can you match all your cards?
flashcards
FlashcardsStudy terms and definitions

1 / 71

flashcard set

Earn XP

Description and Tags

Modern Humanities (Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque)

72 Terms

1

Renaissance

A cultural movement that began in Italy in the 14th century, characterized by a revival of interest in the classical art, literature, and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome.

New cards
2
Medici

A powerful and influential family in Florence, known for their patronage of the arts and political involvement during the Renaissance.

New cards
3

Neoplatonism

A philosophy based on the ideas of Plato that merged paganism with Christianity.

New cards
4
Marsilio Ficino

An Italian philosopher and scholar who contributed significantly to Neoplatonism. He translated Plato’s works from Greek to Latin.

New cards
5
Pico della Mirandola

An Italian Renaissance philosopher known for his work 'Oration on the Dignity of Man.’

New cards
6
Great Chain of Being

A hierarchical structure of all matter and life. Believed to reflect the divine order.

New cards
7
linear perspective

An artistic technique used to create the illusion of depth and space on a flat surface.

New cards
8
orthogonals
Lines that lead to the vanishing point in linear perspective, creating the illusion of depth.
New cards
9
vanishing point

The point in a perspective drawing where orthogonals appear to converge.

New cards
10
aerial (atmospheric) perspective

An artistic technique used to create the illusion of depth by changing the color and clarity of objects intended to appear distant.

New cards
11
relief sculpture

A sculpture that is carved or molded on a flat surface.

New cards
12

Orsanmichele

A building in Florence that originally served as a grain market but was converted into a church. Known for its exterior niches filled with sculptures of saints.

New cards
13
contrapposto

Literally “counterbalance”. A pose in sculpture where the weight is distributed on one leg.

New cards
14
foreshortening

An artistic technique that makes objects appear to recede into space.

New cards
15

trompe l’oeil

Literal meaning: To deceive the eye. An artistic technique that creates the illusion of three-dimensional space or objects on a flat surface. 

New cards
16
nave
The central part of a church building, typically where the congregation sits.
New cards
17
aisle
The passageway between rows of seats in a church or the side space alongside the nave.
New cards
18
transept
The section of a church building that crosses the main body.
New cards
19
arcade
A row of arches supported by columns.
New cards
20
clerestory
The upper part of a church that contains windows, allowing light into the space.
New cards
21
pietra serena

A gray sandstone commonly used in Florentine architecture, particularly used by Brunelleschi.

New cards
22
tondo
A circular painting or relief.
New cards
23
pendentives

The triangular sections of a dome that serve as the transition between the dome and its supporting arches.

New cards
24
High Renaissance

The period in the late 15th century to early 16th century characterized by the peak of classical artistic expression.

New cards
25
civic humanism

A political philosophy and culture that encouraged citizens to be actively involved in governing their communities.

New cards
26
Castiglione, The Book of the Courtier

A text that outlines the ideal qualities of a courtier and the proper etiquette in royal courts.

New cards
27
Machiavelli, The Prince

A political treatise that provides advice on how rulers should maintain power.

New cards
28
chiaroscuro

An artistic technique that uses light and shadow to give the illusion of volume.

New cards
29
sfumato

An artistic technique that creates a soft transition between colors and tones. Particularly used by Leonardo da Vinci. Example: Virgin of the Rocks.

New cards
30
buon (true) fresco

A painting technique where pigments are mixed with water and applied to freshly laid, wet lime plaster.

New cards
31

ignudi

The term used for the 20 nude male figures featured in the Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco.

New cards
32

Mannerism

An artistic style characterized by artificial poses and exaggerated and distorted forms.

New cards
33
Josquin des Prez
A French composer of the Renaissance known for his vocal music.
New cards
34
polyphony

A musical style consisting of multiple independent melodic voices.

New cards
35
motet

A polyphonic choral composition on a sacred text.

New cards
36
imitation (for music)

a repeated melody in different voices

New cards
37
Adrian Willaert

A Flemish composer who was known for founding the Venetian School.

New cards
38
consort (for music)
A group of musical instruments from the same family.
New cards
39
triptych

A work of art consisting of three pieces.

New cards
40
anamorphic image
An image that appears distorted unless viewed from a specific angle.
New cards
41
Erasmus

A Dutch Renaissance humanist and theologian known for his writings on reform in the Church. Author of "The Praise of Folly.”

New cards
42
Martin Luther

Martin Luther was a 16th-century German theologian and monk who initiated the Protestant Reformation. Known for his “Ninety-Five Theses”.

New cards
43
John Calvin

A French theologian known for his doctrines of predestination and God’s absolute sovereignty and his significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

New cards
44
Henry VIII
King of England known for his role in the Protestant Reformation and the creation of the Church of England.
New cards
45
Protestant Reformation

A religious movement that began in the early 15th century, leading to the establishment of Protestant churches. It was a challenge to the authority of the Catholic Church. 

New cards
46
Counter Reformation
The Catholic Church's response to the Protestant Reformation, aiming to reform and reinforce church doctrine.
New cards
47
polyptych
An altarpiece formed of multiple panels.
New cards
48
Shakespeare, Hamlet
A tragedy written by William Shakespeare, exploring themes of revenge and morality.
New cards
49
revenge tragedy
A genre of drama in which the central theme is revenge for a wrong or murder.
New cards
50
engraving
A printmaking technique that involves incising a design onto a hard surface.
New cards
51
Council of Trent

A series of meetings that defined Catholic doctrine in response to the Protestant Reformation

New cards
52
Baroque
An artistic style that emerged in the 17th century characterized by dramatic situations, movement, and emotion.
New cards
53
tenebrism

Startling contrasts between light and dark.

New cards
54
illusionism, illusionistic ceiling painting

An artistic depiction of imaginary continuations of the existing architectural features.

New cards
55
camera obscura
An optical device that led to the development of photography, allowing images to be projected onto a surface.
New cards
56
vanitas
An artistic genre that reflects on the futility of earthly life and the transient nature of worldly goods.
New cards
57
Baroque music

Characterized by dramatic shifts in volume and tempo, expressiveness, and the use of ornamentation.

New cards
58
oratorio
A large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists with a religious theme.
New cards
59
fugue
A musical form where a theme is introduced by one voice and then repeated by others in succession.
New cards
60
concerto
A musical composition for a solo instrument accompanied by an orchestra.
New cards
61
empiricism

The theory that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience

New cards
62
Copernicus

A mathematician and astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model of the universe.

New cards
63
Kepler
A German mathematician and astronomer who formulated the laws of planetary motion.
New cards
64
Galileo
An Italian astronomer who confirmed the heliocentric theory through observation and improved telescope technology.
New cards
65
Newton
An English mathematician and physicist whose laws of motion and universal gravitation laid the groundwork for classical mechanics.
New cards
66
Bacon
An English philosopher and statesman known for developing the scientific method.
New cards
67
Descartes

A French philosopher and mathematician known for his statement “I think, therefore I am.”

New cards
68
Pascal
A French mathematician and philosopher known for his work in probability theory and contributions to the development of modern philosophy.
New cards
69
Hobbes, The Leviathan
A work of political philosophy that argues for a strong centralized authority.
New cards
70
social contract

An agreement between a government and its people that outlines the rights and responsibilities of each

New cards
71
Locke

An English philosopher whose theories on government and human rights influenced modern democratic thought. Commonly known as the “Father of Liberalism”.

New cards
72
tabula rasa
A theory that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that all knowledge comes from experience.
New cards
robot