history of western art and architecture midterm 2

Amphora

A tall, two-handled Greek storage jar used for oil, wine, or grain. Often decorated with painted scenes, amphorae are key examples of Greek ceramic art.

Krater

A large Greek vessel used for mixing wine and water during symposia (drinking parties). Its wide mouth allowed easy mixing and serving.

Kouros (plural: Kouroi)

A freestanding statue of a nude young male in Archaic Greece, often used as grave markers or votive offerings. They exhibit early Greek interest in human anatomy and proportion.

Kore (plural: Korai)

A freestanding statue of a clothed young woman from Archaic Greece, often used as votive figures. Their stylized hair and garments reflect the era’s formalized style.

Persian Sack of Athens, 480 BCE

Refers to the destruction of Athens by Persian forces during the Persian Wars. The event led to a massive rebuilding effort under Perikles, including the construction of the Parthenon.

Canon of Proportions

A system of ideal mathematical ratios used to determine the “perfect” human form in sculpture. Developed to create harmony and balance in representations of the body.

Lysippos and his Canon (1:8)

Lysippos, a 4th-century BCE Greek sculptor, modified the earlier canon by making figures taller and slimmer (head-to-body ratio of 1:8 instead of Polykleitos’ 1:7), creating a more dynamic naturalism.

Ideal Proportions

The mathematical and aesthetic pursuit of perfect bodily and architectural balance, based on harmony and symmetry.

Contrapposto

A naturalistic stance in sculpture where weight is shifted onto one leg, creating an asymmetrical balance in the body’s posture. First seen in Classical Greek sculpture (e.g., Doryphoros by Polykleitos).

Relief Sculpture

Sculpture that projects from a flat background surface. Varies from low (bas-relief) to high relief, used widely in architectural decoration and narrative friezes.

Perikles (Pericles)

A statesman who led Athens during its Golden Age (5th century BCE). Under his patronage, the Acropolis was rebuilt, and major monuments like the Parthenon were constructed.

Pheidias (Phidias)

The chief sculptor of Athens under Perikles, responsible for the statue of Athena Parthenos in the Parthenon and the sculptural decoration of the Acropolis.

Kallikrates and Iktinos

Architects of the Parthenon. Kallikrates also designed the Temple of Athena Nike; Iktinos worked on the Temple of Apollo at Bassae.

Doric

Sturdy, plain columns with no base and a simple capital.

Ionic

Slender columns with bases and scroll-like volutes on the capital.

Corinthian

The most ornate, with capitals decorated with acanthus leaves.

Panathenaic Procession

A grand religious festival in Athens honoring Athena, depicted in the Parthenon frieze as a civic and sacred celebration.

Acropolis

A fortified hilltop in a Greek city, typically the site of major temples and sanctuaries (e.g., the Athenian Acropolis).

Temple

A structure housing the cult statue of a deity. It served as the god’s home, not as a place of congregational worship.

Treasury

A small building in sanctuaries used to store offerings and dedications from city-states, often richly decorated.

Cella (Naos)

The inner chamber of a Greek temple where the cult statue stood.

Sculptural Program

The coordinated ensemble of sculptures designed for a temple or public building, often conveying mythological or political messages.

Pediment

The triangular gable at the end of a roof, often filled with sculptural decoration.

Optical Refinements

Subtle architectural adjustments (like curvature of stylobate or entasis) made by Greek architects to correct visual distortions and create a sense of perfection.

Stylobate

The top step or platform on which columns stand.

Entasis

A slight bulge in a column’s shaft that corrects the optical illusion of concavity when viewed from a distance.

Triglyphs and Metopes

Decorative elements of the Doric frieze: triglyphs are vertically grooved panels; metopes are the square spaces between them, often carved with reliefs.

Frieze

A horizontal band of sculptural or painted decoration running along the upper part of a wall or building, especially in the Ionic order.

Caryatids

Sculpted female figures serving as architectural supports, replacing columns (notably seen on the Erechtheion).

Attribute

An identifying symbol associated with a deity or figure, such as Athena’s shield, Zeus’s thunderbolt, or Poseidon’s trident.

Alexander the Great

King of Macedonia who spread Greek culture across a vast empire, leading to the Hellenistic blending of Greek and Eastern artistic traditions.

Gigantomachy

A mythological battle between gods and giants, symbolizing order triumphing over chaos—commonly depicted on temple sculpture (e.g., Pergamon Altar).

Theatricality

A dramatic and emotional style characteristic of Hellenistic art, emphasizing movement, expression, and viewer engagement.

Funerary Art

Art created to commemorate the dead, such as tombs, stelae, sarcophagi, or portrait busts.

Spoils

Objects taken in war and often displayed or used to finance monumental architecture (e.g., the Arch of Titus celebrating Roman victory).

Barrel Vault

A continuous arch forming a tunnel-like ceiling, created by extending a round arch along a distance.

Groin Vault

Formed by the perpendicular intersection of two barrel vaults, allowing for wider spaces and more light.

Emulation of Greek Sculpture

The Roman practice of imitating or adapting Greek artistic styles, reflecting admiration for Greek ideals of beauty.

Verism

A style in Roman portraiture emphasizing realistic, even exaggerated, depiction of age and individual features.

Veristic Portraiture

A highly realistic Roman sculptural style that conveys civic virtue and wisdom through depictions of age and imperfection.

Syncretism

The blending of artistic and religious traditions from different cultures, often seen in Hellenistic and Roman art.

Ruins

Remnants of ancient buildings that convey both historical continuity and the aesthetic of decay; key to later Neoclassical revival movements.

Mosaic

An image or pattern created by assembling small colored pieces (tesserae) of stone, glass, or ceramic; a popular form of Roman decorative art.

Tesserae

The small pieces used in mosaics, often made of colored stone, glass, or ceramic.

Egyptomania

European fascination with ancient Egyptian art and architecture, particularly following Napoleon’s campaigns in Egypt (18th–19th centuries).

Concrete

A Roman building material (lime, volcanic ash, and rubble) that revolutionized architecture by allowing new forms like domes and vaults.

Propaganda

Art and architecture used to promote political power or ideology (e.g., Augustus’s monuments promoting imperial divinity).

Deification

The transformation of a deceased ruler into a god; visually represented in art through apotheosis scenes.

Apotheosis

Depiction of a mortal’s ascent to divine status; common in Roman imperial art.

Forum (plural: Fora)

The civic and commercial center of a Roman city, surrounded by temples, basilicas, and public buildings.

Dome

A hemispherical vault often used in Roman architecture (e.g., the Pantheon).

Oculus

The circular opening at the top of a dome, symbolizing the heavens and admitting light.

Liturgy

In an art-historical sense, refers to the ritual and ceremonial use of art and architecture in religious contexts (e.g., Christian or Byzantine worship practices).