ap art history vocab

ambulatory

a place for walking, esp. an aisle around the apse or a cloister in a church/monastary

aisle

a row between seats in a church

apse

a large, semicircular recess, arched or with a domed roof, typically at the EAST end of a church, containing the alter

clerestory

upper part of the nave, choir, and transepts, containing a series of windows (admits light to the central part of the building)

nave

central aisle of the church; intended to accomodate most of the congregation

nave arcade

sepparation between a nave and its side aisles (columns, not seats)

transcept

either of the two extending "arms" of a basilica-plan

atrium

open roofed enterance hall

bay

the space between supporting vaults in a cathedral

compound pier

engaged column (suggests performance of structural objects)

archivolts

a band of molding, resembling an architrave, around the lower curve of an arch

barrel vault

a vault forming a 1/2 cylinder

choir

between the alter and the nave; used by the choir and the clergy

cloister

a covered walk in a convent/monestary/cathedral; wall on one side, colonnade open to a quadrangle

crossing square

gives access to the nave, choir, transcept arms (used and the basis of measurment)

gallery

balcony (esp. platform/upper floor) projecting from back; provides a space for audience or muscians

groin vault

produced by the intersection at right angels of two barrel vaults

portal

entryway; door

rib vault

allow for higher ceilings (distrubution of weight)

vault

a roof of an arch, or series of arches

flying buttress

a buttress forming from a sepperate pier, typically forming an arch with the wall it supports

relieving triangle

an empty slit above post and lintel style doorway; distributes the force of gravity so that the lintel stone is not crushed

triforium

a gallery or arcade above the arches of the nave, choir, and transepts

apadana

audience hall

buttress

thickened wall areas that provide support and protection

capital

the top of a column (decorative part)

column

round, 3D support for post-and-lintel architecture

ziggurat

signature architecture of ANE; raised platform, constructed from glazed mud brick; protected the temple from floods.

engaged column

a column embedded in a wall and partly projecting

facade

the front (outside face) of a building

hypostyle hall

post-and-lintel architecture; "forest of columns"

post-and-lintel

Architecture; construction using two columns and a flat stone lain horizontally over the columns

mastaba

Ancient egyptian brick or stone structure with sloping sides erected over a subterranean tomb chamber connected with the outside by a shaft

necropolis

"city of the dead"

obelisk

Egyptian; stone pillar, typically having a square or rectangular cross section and a pyramidal top, set up as a monument or landmark.

pyramid

Egyptian; a monumental structure with a square bottom; tomb for pharoahs

stepped pyramid

architectural structure that uses flat platforms, or steps, receding from the ground up, to achieve a completed shape similar to a geometric pyramid

architrave

a main beam resting across the tops of columns, specifically the lower third entablature.

balustrade

a railing supported by balusters, especially an ornamental parapet on a balcony, bridge, or terrace.

caryatid

Greece; stone carving of a draped female figure, used as a pillar to support the entablature.

cella

inner area of a temple; used to house cult statue

collonade

a row of columns supporting a roof, entablature, or arcade

entablature

a horizontal, continuous lintel, supported by columns or a wall (comprises the architrave, frieze, and cornice)

frieze

a broad horizontal band of sculpted or painted decoration (adorns the entablature)

metope

a square space between triglyphs in a doric frieze

pediment

the triangular upper part of the front of a building in the classical style; typically surmounting a portico of columns

peristyle

a row of columns surrounding a space within a building

triglyph

a tablet in a doric frieze with 3 vertical grooves (alternate w/ metopes)

citadel

a fortified city, typically on high ground

rustication

when the bottom of a building is dramatically textured, to make it appear more stable

basilica plan

central plan

cruciform plan

dome

a rounded vault forming the roof of a building or structure, typically with a circular base.

Oculus

a round or eyelike opening on the roof of a dome

drum

in architecture, any of the cylindrical stone blocks composing a column that is not a monolith.

niche

a shallow recess, especially one in a wall to display a statue or other ornament.

palazzo

a palatial building, especially in Italy

mihrab

a niche in the wall of a mosque, at the point nearest to Mecca, toward which the congregation faces to pray.

qibla wall

houses the mihrab

minbar

a short flight of steps used as a platform by a preacher in a mosque.

minaret

a tall slender tower, typically part of a mosque, with a balcony from which a muezzin calls Muslims to prayer.

pilaster

a rectangular column, especially one projecting from a wall.

roundel

a small disk, especially a decorative medallion.

cupola

(dome)

international style

Style; clean, unadorned skyscrapers

art deco

the predominant decorative art style of the 1920s and 1930s, characterized by precise and boldly delineated geometric shapes and strong colors, and used most notably in household objects and in architecture.

voussior

wedge shaped stones used to create arches (KEYSTONE)

Altarpiece

painted or sculpted panel set on an altar of a church

Applied Art

art that is engraved or incised onto functional objects

Aquatint

type of etching where the artist sprinkles layers of powdery resin on the surface of the plate, heats it to harden the powder and dips it in an acid bath; the acid eats around the resin powder creating a rich tonal surface

Automatism

in painting, the process of yielding oneself to instinctive motions of the hands

Benday Dots

printing technique that involves the modulation of color through the placement of individual colored dots

Black-Figure

silhouetting of dark figures against light background of natural, reddish clay, with linear details incised through the silhouettes

Buon Fresco

true fresco; paint is applied to a wet layer of plaster; more durable than fresco secco; requires quick brushwork

Burin

a steel-cutting tool used to make engravings

Calligraphy

decorative and beautiful handwriting

Canon of Proportion

a system of measurement by which artists can regulate size, scale, and proportions

Canvas

heavy woven material used as the surface for a painting; largely replaces wood; widely used first in Venice

Chiaroscuro

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

Cloisonne

enamelwork (enamel is a smooth substance made of fused glass powder which can be colored) in which colored areas are separated by thin bands of metal, usually gold or bronze

Combines

mixed-media pieces that were three dimensional; created by Rauschenberg

Daguerreotype

a type of early photograph developed by Louis Daguerre; shiny surface and no negatives

Diorite

a dark grey stone used in Egyptian sculpture; naturally quarried along the Nile

Encaustic

method of painting that uses colored waxes burned into a wooden surface

Engraving

a metal plate is engraved with various lines and designs; the incised lines are filled with ink (excess is wiped away); paper is laid atop the metal plate and pressure is applied to transfer the ink to paper

Etching

a metal plate is covered with a waxy coat; the artist scratches the design into the wax; the plate is dipped into acid; wax is cleaned off the plate; ink is applied into the lines, paper is laid down, and pressure is applied to transfer the ink to the paper

Faience

a type of ceramic covered with colorful, opaque glazes that form a smooth, impermeable surface; first created in Egypt

Foreshortening

visual effect in which an object is shortened and turned deeper into the picture plane to give the effect of receding in space

Found Objects

objects that originally have a non-art function but that are used to create or embellish artwork

Fresco Secco

dry fresco; artist lets the plaster for the wall dry before painting on it; less durable

Glazes

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

Grisailles

term for painting executed entirely in monochrome or near monochrome, usually in shades of grey; particularly used in large decorative shames in imitation of sculpture

Ground/Horizon Line

horizontal line at eye level that determines ground space that figures are rooted upon

Impasto

thick and very visible application of paint

Installation

an artwork that creates an artistic environment in a room or gallery

Linear Perspective

a mathematical system for creating the illusion of space and distance on a flat surface

Mobiles

sculpture made from several different items that dangle from a ceiling and can be set into motion by air currents

Mosaic

a decoration using pieces of stone, marble or colored class, called tesserae, that are cemented to a wall or floor

Oil Paint

pigment mixed with oil, typically linseed