ARH 302 Exam 3 Keyterms

Aedicula

a miniature building or architectural frame; often a niche marked by columns and pediments

Dry Fresco

wall or ceiling paintings that are done on dry plaster( a secco), as opposed to on wet plaster (true or buon fresco)

"Hands of God" Iconography

a symbol for God's intervention or approval of human affairs, it is also possible that the hand of God reflects the anthropomorphic conceptions of the deity that may have persisted in late antiquity.

mosaic

A medium in which small, roughly cubic pieces of colored material (usually stone or glass) are

embedded in mortar to create patterns or images. The small pieces are called tesserae

Typology

A method of biblical interpretation in which persons, events, or institutions in the Old Testament

(called "types") are seen as foreshadowing or anticipating persons, events, or institutions in the New Testament.

Putto

a figure in a work of art depicted as a chubby male child, usually naked and very often winged.

Staurogram (tauro)

The staurogram combines the Greek letters tau-rho to stand in for parts of the Greek words for "cross" (stauros) and "crucify" (stauroō) in Bodmer papyrus P75. Staurograms serve as the earliest images of Jesus on the cross, predating other Christian crucifixion imagery by 200 years.

Christogram

is a monogram or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, traditionally used as a religious symbol within the Christian Church.

Chi-rho symbol

a Christogram made up of the Greek letters "chi" and "rho", the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ (Christos)

Baldachin

an ornamental canopy, often made of cloth or as a permanent architectural feature, positioned over

An altar, throne, or sacred object.

Transept

in a cruciform (cross-shaped) church, the part of the building oriented perpendicular to the nave.

Oratory

a private place of worship for Christian individuals, family, or community

Blind Arcade

In architecture, an arcade( a series of arches carried by columns or piers) having no actual openings, applied as decoration to a wall surface

Alabastor

a form of fine-grained gypsum that is white and translucent.

Attribute

a symbolic object that is conventionally used to identify a person or deity.

Agnus Dei "Lamb of God" Iconography

The symbol is a representation of Christ's sacrifice, as demonstrated by the lamb, and his victory, as demonstrated by the cross

Pendentive

an architectural element in the shape of a triangular segment of a sphere, used to make the transition from a square room to a circular base for a dorm.

Revetment

In architecture, a decorative facing of stone, stucco, or other material covering a surface constructed of a less attractive material,such as a brick or concrete.

Iconclasm

destruction of religious images known as icons to prevent worship of the image rather than the diety

Open Work

A decorative technique in which openings or voids are incorporated into an object, creating a lattice or pierced effect. This technique is used in a variety of materials, including metal, wood, pottery, glass, ivory, and stone.

Rock Crystal

The term used for the clear, colorless form of the mineral quartz. Rock crystal can be used as a gemstone or carved into objects of various kinds.

Cameo

A small-scale, low relief carved in a stratified or banded material, usually a gemstone such as onyx or sardonyx, but also in shell, class or glass. The cameo technique results in a background of one color and an image in relief of another color.

Cloisonne

A metalwork technique in which wires are soldered onto a metal surface to form compartments(cloisons). The compartments are filled with enamel or cut gemstones.

Millefiori

A glassmaking technique that produces complex decorative patterns. The technique begins with production of a glass cane with multicolored patterns viewable only at the cut ends of the cane. The cane is heated and pulled, then cooled and cut into discs. The discs are then re-heated and fused in a mold.

Ground

the surface or background on which the work of art is created that serves as a foundational layer supporting the main elements of the artwork, influencing its overall appearance and texture.

Insular Art

derives from the Latin word insula, meaning "island," in reference to Great Britain and Ireland.The name highlights that these islands shared a common artistic style, largely distinct from the rest of continental Europe during the period (from roughly the 5th to the 11th centuries)

Hiberno-Saxon Art

the name reflects the geographical and cultural fusion of the two primary peoples who produced the style: the Irish (Hibernians) and the Anglo-Saxons of Great Britain.

Interlace

a decorative motif characterized by intricate, overlapping designs, typically featuring looped, raided, or knotted bands, cords, or stylized animal forms that create a complex, continuous visual pattern

Liturgy

(n.) a religious service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship

Tesserae

the small piece of stone, glass, or other object that is pieced together with many others to create a mosaic

PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE

the leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church; like the Pope

ENCAUSTIC

A painting technique in which pigment is mixed with wax and applied to the surface while hot.

HIERATIC

Frontal, stiff, and symmetrical figures

Little or no depth, movement, or anatomical realism

Size hierarchy (important figures are physically larger)

Emphasis on symbolism over realism

Purpose is spiritual, not naturalistic

Often used in religious contexts—icons, manuscripts, church frescoes, early Christian and Byzantine art

CENSER

a container in which incense is burned

PSALTER

The Book of Psalms of the Old Testament, which contains 150 Psalms.

ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT

a handwritten book decorated with bright colors and precious metals

FOLIO

pages (leaves) of a manuscript

MILLEFIORI

Created by the cutting of a glass cane into cross sections, revealing elaborate radial designs.

Vellum

fine parchment made originally from the skin of a calf.

parchment

a stiff, flat, thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal and used as a durable writing surface in ancient and medieval times.

INHABITED INITIAL

enlarged letter at the beginning of a section of text that contains a picture

HAGIOGRAPHY

the writing of the lives of saints

VITA

life

Book of Hours

A prayer book for private use, containing a calendar, services for the canonical hours, and sometimes special prayers.

Grisaille

a painting done in neutral shades of gray to simulate the look of sculpture

MORALIZED BIBLE

A heavily illustrated Bible, each page pairing paintings of Old and New Testament episodes with explanations of their moral significance.

DALMATIC

The outer liturgical vestment of a deacon. It may also be worn by bishops under the chasuble and certain solemn liturgies.

SAMITE

a heavy silk fabric (often woven with silver or gold threads)

OPUS ANGLICANUM

"English work" pictorial needlework using colored silk and gold thread embroideries

What main functions did art serve for royal women in the Middle Ages?

Art provided political legitimacy, dynastic propaganda, spiritual patronage, memorialization, symbols of status, and tools for diplomatic gift-giving and personal devotion.

How did art help royal women assert political legitimacy?

Through seals, coins, manuscripts, portraits, and luxury objects that visually reinforced their authority and right to rule.

How did art help royal women express piety?

By commissioning churches, reliquaries, shrines, psalters, and Books of Hours, which reinforced their devotion and alliance with the Church.

How did art provide memorialization for royal women?

Tomb sculpture, inscriptions, manuscript patronage, and religious gifts ensured their names and legacy were remembered.

How did royal women use art as diplomatic tools?

By offering luxury gifts—such as textiles, reliquaries, and ivory objects—to resolve conflicts, negotiate peace, or win political allies.

How did artworks help royal women influence politics indirectly?

Art allowed them to shape public perception, reinforce dynastic ties, and exert soft power even when barred from formal political authority.

How does Eleanor of Aquitaine demonstrate how royal women used art to shape dynastic narratives?

She commissioned cultural works that emphasized her noble lineage and represented herself as a cultured, legitimate queen of two kingdoms.

What is the Eleanor Vase?

Vase with rock crystal, and later remounted with gold by Abbot Suger as liturgy artifact. She used it as a marriage gift to Louis VII, signaling alliance, wealth, and cosmopolitan prestige in a royal marriage negotiation. It shows how elite women used exotic luxury objects as diplomatic tools, transmitting status across courts and symbolizing peaceful union.

How did royal women use Moralized Bibles?

As dynastic teaching tools for sons, moral education, and demonstrating pious queenship; they also reinforced the queen's role as a moral guide.

How does the Red Dalmatic with Lions relate to Empress Matilda?

Its imperial silk and lion imagery reflect the kinds of luxury textiles Matilda used to assert her imperial identity and claim to rule England. By gift giving she was able to create political allies and resolve conflicts.

What is the Reliquary Shrine of St. Elizabeth of Hungary?

A lavish gilded shrine containing St. Elizabeth's relics, commissioned after her death by her royal relatives. It reinforced her family's sanctity, linked her dynasty to miraculous healing, and strengthened political alliances through pilgrimage networks.

What is the Beatus Initial from Psalm 1 in the Peterborough Psalter?

A richly illuminated initial "B" containing imagery of royal virtue and divine law, often associated with elite patronage. Beatus vir presents the ideal Christian, so the initial became spiritually symbolic.

Often teaches moral lessons: righteous vs. wicked, divine protection, meditation on scripture. emonstrates the wealth and prestige of the manuscript's patron.

Serves as a "display page" showcasing the scribe's and illuminator's skill.

What are the Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux?

A luxurious Book of Hours made c. 1324-28 for the French queen Jeanne d'Evreux, illuminated by Jean Pucelle.

How did Jeanne d'Evreux use her Book of Hours?

As a portable symbol of queenship, piety, and literacy, reinforcing her identity as the spiritual mother of the French royal line.

Why is the Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux important for royal women?

It shows how elite devotional manuscripts became status symbols and tools for shaping a queen's public image.

What is the Virgin of Jeanne d'Evreux?

A silver-gilt statuette of the Virgin and Child given by Jeanne d'Evreux to the abbey of Saint-Denis.

ow does the Virgin of Jeanne d'Evreux advertise royal status?

Its materials (silver, enamel, gems) and craftsmanship show immense wealth and reinforce Jeanne's identity as a model Christian queen.