Art History--Part 1

Define trompe l’oeil

trick the eye; making the viewer think what they’re seeing is real

Define still life

paintings of fruits and flowers out of their usual context

Define non-representational

doesn’t attempt to recreate things from the natural world

Define convention

traditional way of representing something

Define iconography

way of studying and identifying subject matter and symbols in art

Define self portrait

work in which someone produces a likeness of themselves

Define personification

giving human qualities to non human things

Define patron

person who commissions and finances art

Define sculpture in the round

self contained 3-D sculpture; we can see all around it

Define zoomorphic

composite of human/animal

Define relief sculpture

surface that has been carved, sculpted, or stamped to show a symbol on it

Define twisted perspective

feet pointing one way, head pointing another

Define ziggurat

built raised platform with 4 sloping slides

Define theocratic rule

god rules, priest rules on their behalf

Define registers

self contained horizontal lines

Define ground line

band to represent the ground; people stand on it

Define hierarchic scale

various sizes to show importance

Define forced acculteration

forcing language/culture onto someone you conquered

Define alloy

mixture of metals and reduces the cost and changes teh metal

Define gilded

cover in gold

Define pre-history

before the written word

Define incised

cut into

Define stele

vertical stone/marker inscribed with text or relief carvings

Define naturalism

attempting to depict the natural world

Define crenellated

notched; specifically in towers

Define faience

blue materials that is self glazing; considered magic by the Egyptian

Define ka

life force or spirit; lives on after the body died

Define Book of the Dead

painted on papyrus scrolls to put into the casket to help with the after life via spells

Define composite pose

showing the body in the easiest way for the parts: chest forward, arms/legs sideways, head sideways but eyes head on

Define Egyptian canon of proportions

using a grid to get human body parts correct, so that all paintings/carvings of people were correct

Define hieroglyphics

inscriptions on a monument

Define hieratic

religious documents

Define demotic

all other texts that aren’t religious

Define coptic

Greek form of writing

Define monolith

one piece of stone

Define living rock

the rock was in place and wasn’t moved to be carved

Define sphinx

King’s head on a crouching lion

Define colonnade

row of columns

Define post and lintel

two columns with a horizontal column on top of it

Define hypostyle hall

room of columns

Define capital

top of the column

Define sunken relief

carvings are down into the stone

Define Egptomania

everything in Egypt is great, and is therefore appropriated

Define prothesis

public honouring prior to bural

Define black figure decoration

figures on ceramic were black; strongest surface decorations in 600 BCE

Define slip

mixture of clay and water to decorate vases

Define red figure

background is painted with slip; details are in slip, and the figures are red

Define caduceus

coiled staff

Define peplos

garment worn by young girls; rectangular shape

Define contrapposto

tension and relaxation of a central axis on the body; weight is one hip, one shoulder is dropped, one hip is dropped, head is slightly turned

Define caryalids

female figures used as columns

Define chiton

linen dress gathered in at the shoulder with broaches and gathered in at the hips

Define torc

large rigid neck ring made of metal strands twisted together; common with the Gauls

Define stucco

slow drying plaster that is easily modelled

Define tufa

light volcanic ash rock used in tombs

Define aqueduct

structure with water conduits to propel water

Define arcades

series of regularly spaced arches

Define barrel vault

extend an arch lengthwise to make a tunnel

Define groin vault

intersect barrel vaults

Define domes

combining arches in a circle

Define forums

civic centres, large open square surrounded by a colonnade that led to a temple

Define basilicas

large rectangular building with a large open place

Define amphora

2-handled storage vessel

When was the upper paleolithic period?

42,000-8,000 BCE

What was common of sculptures in the paleolithic period?

they’re women; with exaggerated breasts, genitals, buttocks, and stomach; could be representing an ideal form or fertility

What was Catalhoyuk?

lost city in Turkey containing 120 houses that were thought to be the homes of 8-9000 people; these houses were really close together, so the city lacked streets as people travelled on the roofs; these houses were interior decorated, and art was important to these people

What are the names of the various Mesopotamian empires?

Sumer; Akkad; Babylon; Assyria; Neo-Babylon

What are the Mesopotamian style conventions?

face: v-eyebrow; wide, staring eyes; Body: ligaments/muscles emphasized to show most important, cylindrical shape; Twisted Perspective: shoulders frontal, head/feet in profile; Hierarchical Scale: relational size and placement of figures to show importance

Explain Lamassus

typically have a human head, body of a lion/bull, and bird wings; represented protective deities; monolithic statues; has horns so is associated with the gods; can be seen from the front or the side

Explain North and South Egypt

the Niles flows South to North, so upper Egypt is south and lower is north; the east side is for cities; west is for death, so the tombs are on this side

Explain Egyptian style conventions

general: order, consistency, stability, monumentality, rigidity, hierarchic scale, ground lines and registers; High Status Pose: idealization, twisted perspective/composite pose, and static pose; Lower Status Pose: less clothing (often nude), active/natural poses, less individualized

Explain the Egyptian mummification process

took about 70 days; heart was left in the body but all of the other major organs were removed; the body was wrapped in several layers of linens with amulets placed in between

What was included in every Egyptian burial?

Pyramid texts (vertical texts on the inside of the tomb); coffin texts (painted on coffins or grave goods, a continuation of pyramid texts); Book of the Dead (mortuary spells put into tombs

What were the dynasties of Egypt?

Early Dynastic, Old Kingdom, New Kingdom, Roman

How were scribes commonly represented?

Seated, with something (usually a scroll) in their laps

Define necropolis

city of the dead

Define mastaba

flat surface that was built over a burial chamber, made of mud stone brick

What do some iconographies of Egypt mean?

fake beard represents the king; short kilt and linen headdress represents royalty; ankh represents eternal life; scarab represents creation

What were the Greek periods?

Geometric, Archaic, Early Classical, High Classical, Late Classical, Hellenistic

How do you quickly identify the Archaic Period?

the archaic smile (forced, fake smile) and a lot of geometry

How was the body represented in the Archaic period?

males were often nude, since it represented power; they were very muscular because it represented authority; symmetry was important; rectangular shape; women were not nude unless they were vulnerable or sex workers

How was the body represented in the Early Classical Period?

volumetric; no archaic smile; softer features; contrapposto; asymmetrical

How was the body represented in the High Classical Period?

contrapposto; strong sense of movement and confidence; women were clothed

How was the body represented in the Late Classical Period?

smaller head; more sensual body; softer musculature; rough hair

Explain Roman Arches

introduced rounded arches; weight is distributed downwards; one arch and supports is called a bay; the voussoirs (wedges in the corners of the arches were connected through keystones

What are the characteristics of the Ionic order?

from the High Classical period; has a base with a thinner column; doesn’t have a drum; has a volute capital; has a continuous frieze; has a pediment

What are the characteristics of the Corinthian order?

from the Hellenistic period; has a base; capital is fancy and leaf like; no sculptural frieze; no pediment

What are the names of the two capitals the Egyptians used?

papyrus and bud

What order did the Romans build in?

Ionic, but only the front columns bear weight

Define engaged column

column that is attached to the wall and bears no weight

Define rotunda

circular room

Define coffered

recessed ceiling panels; lightened the weight of a dome

Define niche

hollow recess in wall; statues were placed here

Define occulus

hole in the ceiling of a dome

Define nave

encloses a basilica; flanked by two rows of columns

Define apse

two rounded extensions of basilica

Define verism

hyper naturalistic rendering of features that emphasizes flaws

Define grounded

has a known findspot

Define findspot

location where the artifact is excavated

Define edict of Milan

freedom to all religious groups