Western Classical Arts Tradition – Medieval & Classical Sculpture and Architecture

A comprehensive set of Q26A flashcards covering key people, terms, features, and monuments in medieval and classical sculpture and architecture as outlined in the lecture notes.

What were the dominant themes depicted in Byzantine sculptures?

Religious subjects, scenes of everyday life, and motifs drawn from nature.

Which animals commonly served as symbolic figures in Byzantine sculpture?

The dove, deer, and peafowl.

What is an acrostic sign in the context of Byzantine art?

A form of writing in which taking the first letter, syllable, or word of successive lines reveals a hidden theological message.

Where can the famous "Last Judgment" tympanum from the medieval period be found?

On the west portal of the Cathedral of Saint-Lazare in Autun, Burgundy, France.

Which early Byzantine ivory carving features an emperor crowned by Victory?

The Barberini Diptych.

How did Gothic sculpture differ from earlier medieval styles in terms of figure treatment?

Figures projected outward, showed freer poses, and appeared livelier and more realistic.

Name four common Romanesque sculptural pieces produced for churches.

Reliquaries, crucifixes, altar frontals, and devotional images.

What is a reliquary?

A container created to hold sacred relics.

For whom were most small Romanesque works of art, made of costly materials, commissioned?

Royal and aristocratic patrons.

Why were light-weight devotional images crafted during the Romanesque period?

So they could be carried in processions inside and outside churches.

Which architectural tradition perfected mosaic decoration and extensive clerestory lighting?

Byzantine architecture.

What structural innovation in Byzantine architecture notably influenced world building styles?

The ambitious development of the large masonry dome.

Identify three types of large buildings that spread across Europe during the Romanesque period.

Castles, churches, and monasteries.

What feature makes Romanesque church doorways visually striking?

Grand sculptured portals with elaborately carved stone arranged in architectural zones.

Which Byzantine masterpiece, later turned mosque and museum, boasts a dome 108 feet in diameter?

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

List the three hallmark exterior traits of Gothic architecture.

Pointed arches, thin and tall walls, and large stained-glass windows.

How did the pointed arch benefit Gothic builders?

It allowed them to raise ceiling vaults much higher than before.

What structural system carries Gothic stone vaults?

A network of stone ribs supported by piers and clustered pillars.

Which Gothic cathedral is famed for thousands of sculpted figures and glowing stained glass?

The Cathedral of Chartres (Notre-Dame de Chartres).

State three defining elements of Romanesque architecture.

Solid masonry walls, rounded arches, and masonry vaults.

What is a groin-vaulted crypt, and which Romanesque cathedral features a notable example?

An underground chamber covered by intersecting barrel vaults; found at Worcester Cathedral.

In Greek architecture, temples employed one of which three classical orders?

Doric, Ionic, or Corinthian.

What optical correction did the Parthenon architects employ on the columns?

Slight swelling (entasis) and inward lean to prevent visual flatness and top-heaviness.

For what public purposes did Roman emperors build large halls and arenas such as the Colosseum?

Games, chariot races, gladiatorial combats, baths, and processions.

Name three principal construction materials or methods common in major Roman buildings.

Stone arches, brickwork, and concrete barrel vaults.

Why did Romans create sturdy stone monuments?

For functional use and to perpetuate their glory and legacy.

What are megaliths, and from which Greek roots is the term derived?

Huge stone structures; from 'megas' (big) and 'lithos' (stone).

Define a menhir and give the origin of its name.

A single large upright stone; from Breton words ‘men’ (stone) and ‘hir’ (high).

What is a dolmen, and what does its name literally mean?

A table-like tomb of two standing stones topped by a slab; from ‘taol maen’ meaning 'stone table.'

Explain the term 'cromlech.'

A circle of standing stones; from Brythonic ‘crom’ (bent) and ‘lech’ (slab).

Which megalithic site in Europe is best preserved and features concentric stone circles?

Stonehenge.

Identify the three Fourth-Dynasty pharaohs buried in the Pyramids of Giza.

Khufu (Cheops), Khafre (Chephren), and Menkaure (Mycerinus).

Why were numerous internal passages and tunnels included in the Egyptian pyramids?

To confuse and deter grave robbers.

For what dual purposes did ancient Egyptian temples primarily exist?

As residences for the gods and as key centers of economic activity.

Which three perishable materials commonly formed early Egyptian temple superstructures?

Wood, reed matting, and mud brick.

What scenes typically adorned the carved and painted walls of Egyptian temples?

Depictions of pharaohs in battle or performing rituals with deities.

Describe a mastaba.

A flat-roofed, rectangular Egyptian tomb with outward-sloping sides, built of mud brick or stone.

What does 'clerestory' mean in architectural terms?

A high section of wall containing windows that admit light into the interior.

In Gothic architecture, what supports the weight of stone vaults besides the ribs?

Piers and clustered pillars below the rib network.

How did Romanesque sculptors typically arrange stone carving around church portals?

In horizontal and radial zones that align with the architectural framing.

What does the word 'Gothic' relate to in the context of architecture?

A medieval European style characterized by pointed arches, elevated walls, and expansive windows.

Why are many early Christian and Byzantine churches bright inside despite thick walls?

Because clerestory windows high in the walls admit abundant light.

What practical purpose did castles serve during the Romanesque period of intense building?

They provided military defense and residence for nobility.

Which structural element distinguishes a groin vault from a barrel vault?

Intersections of two barrel vaults at right angles create groins (diagonal ribs).

What is the chief functional difference between a dolmen and a cromlech?

A dolmen served primarily as an individual tomb or altar, while a cromlech formed a full stone circle likely used for ritual gatherings.

Which victory symbol appears crowning the emperor in the Barberini Diptych?

A winged female figure (Victory) holding a palm branch and standing on a globe with a cross.