art exam 1 flashcards

Pyramid of Khufu (Great Pyramid)

Giza, 26th BCE

granite/limestone

network of tombs (necropolis)

Hatsheput

Deir el-Bahri, ruled c.1479-1458

red granite and paint

idealistic (male representation of a female pharaoh)

Book of the Dead for the Chantress of Amun, Nauny

Ancient Egypt, c. 1050 BCE
paint/papyrus

instructions for the afterlife, illustrates the judgement of Osiris

composition

overall arrangement, organizing design, or visual structure of a work of art

content

subject matter, ideas, intention, or meanings of a work

ground line

solid baseline that indicates the ground plane on which the figure stands. a series of ground lines can be used to indicate receding space

hierarchic scale

the use of differences in size to indicate relative importance. For example, with human figures, the larger the figure, the greater the importance.

heiroglyphs

picture writing; words and ideas rendered in the form of pictorial symbols

iconography

identifying and studying the subject matter and conventional symbols in works of art

idealization

a process in which artists idealize their forms and figures in relation to cultural values about perfection and/or their own personal beliefs

naturalism

a style of depiction in which the physical appearance of the rendered image in nature seems to be accurately described

Standing male worshipper

Square Temple, Eshunna (Iraq), c. 2900-2600 BCE

limestone/alabaster/shell/bitumen

Kore from Chios

Akropolis, Athens, c. 510 BCE

marble with paint (used to be colorful)

Has the archaic smile

Yakshi bracket figure and relief, east torana, Great Stupa

Sanchi, c. 150-50 BCE

Sandstone

represents auspiciousness, fertility, and growth

abstract

art that does not attempt to describe the appearance of visible forms but rather to transform them into stylized patters or to alter them in conformity to ideals

alabaster

a soft, fine, white, translucent stone

archaic smile

the curved lips of an ancient Greek statue from the period 600-480 BCE, usually interpreted as a way of animating facial features

kore

an archaic Greek statue of a young woman or girl

relief sculpture

A sculpted image or design whose flat background surface is carved away to a certain depth, setting off the figure(s)

sculpture in the round

free standing sculpture, unconnected to a background or block

stupa

in Buddhist architecture, a bell-shaped or pyramidal religious monument, made of piled earth or stone and containing sacred relics

votive figure

an image created as a devotional offering to a deity

Riace Warrior (Bronzi di Riace)

Shipwreck near Riace (Italy), c. 460-450 BCE

bronze/bone/glass/silver/copper

depicts a Greek warrior

cast using lost wax technique

Soldiers from the Mausoleum of Shihuangdi

Lintong (China), c. 210 BCE

terracotta

around 8000 soldiers, exhibit astonishing individuality

Qin Shi Huang— first Qin Emperor

meant to protect/serve emperor after death

molded then cast to mass produce

Sasanian Wall Panel, Bird in Rondel

near Ctesiphon (Iraq), Persian, c. 6th C. CE

Stucco

commonly used to decorate iwans and reception halls of the elite, represented game (hunting animals)

bronze

metal made with copper alloy

contrapposto

meaning “set against”, used to describe the Classical convention of representing human figures with opposing alternations of tension and relaxation on either side of a central axis to imbue figure with a sense of potential for movement

glazing

in ceramics, outermost layer of vitreous liquid that, upon firing, renders ceramics waterproof

lost-wax casting

a method of casting metal, such as bronze, by a process in which a wax mold is covered with clay and plaster, then fired, melting the wax and leaving a hollow form. molten metal is then poured into the hollow space and slowly cooled

stucco

a mixture of lime, sand, and there ingredients made into an easily moldable material. when dry, produces a durable surface used for covering walls or for architectural sculpture and decoration

terra cotta

a medium made from clay fired over low heat and sometime sleft unglazed

classical

art and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome

ceramics

objects made with clay and hardened by firing

Great Stupa

Sanchi, India, founded 3rd C., enlarged c. 150-50 BCE

brick/stone

sepulchral monument related to Buddhism

gates (torana), yasti (spire) symbolizing the axis mundi, surrounded by a fence (hasmika)

circumambulation

Pantheon

Rome, 110-128 CE

stone/concrete

possibly work of Apoblodorus of Damascus

“place of Gods”

post-and-lintel (horizontal and vertical features)

free standing columns attached to dome rotunda

Main Hall, Inner Shrine/Ise Shrine (Shinto)

Mie Prefecture, Japan

Rebuilt every 20 years since 690 CE

cypress wood

style similar to ancient rice granary buildings

only open to royal family, religious officials, and people rebuilding

axis mundi

“axis of the world,” which marks sacred sites and denotes a link between the human and celestial realms

capital

the sculpted block that sits on top of a column. A historiated [ ] is one displaying human figures or narrative scenes

central planned building

any structure designed with a primary central space surrounded by symmetrical areas on each side. ex. rotunda

coffer

a recessed decorative panel that is used to reduce the weight of, and to decorate, ceilings or vaults

column

an architectural element used for support and/or decoration

drum

circular wall that supports a dome

elevation

the arrangement, proportions, and details of any vertical side or face of a building

oculus

a circular opening, either as windows or at the apex of a dome

plan

a drawing representing the arrangement of the parts of a building

rotunda

any building constructed in a circular shape, usually producing a large open space crowned by a dome

vault

an arched masonry structure that spans an interior space

sanctuary

a sacred or holy enclosure used for worship

stupa

bell shaped or pyramidal religious monument

torana

an ornamented gateway, usually leading to a stupa

Ishtar Gate

Nebuchadnezzar II’s Palace, Babylon (Iraq), c. 575 BCE

glazed brick

processional way

dragons symbolize God Marduk, lions and flowers symbolize War Goddess Ishtar

Exterior View, Arch of Titus

Rome, after 81 CE
concrete/marble/stone/wood

Historically a symbol of power, triumph due to Roman political victory against internal turmoil

Been recreated many times

Relief structure panels

Chichen Itza, ball court

Maya Culture, Yucatán, Mexico, 9th-12th C. CE

sacred, ritual ballgame

serpent ballcourt markers

apse

a large semicircular or polygonal (and usually vaulted) niche protruding from the end wall of building (e.g. the altar in a church)

arch

a curved structural element that spans an open space, built from wedge shaped stone blocls called vouissors and held at top by a trapezoidal keystone

basilica

a large rectangular building. Often built with a clerestory, side aisles separated from the center nave by colomnades, and an apse at one or both ends (Roman center for administration)

bay

a unit of space defined by architectural elements such as columns, piers, and walls

module

a segment or portion of a repeated design, basic unit of measurement

motif

any recurring element of a design or composition

nave

the central aisle of a basilica

triumphal arch

freestanding, massive stone gateway with a large central arch, builtas urban ornament and/or to celebrate military victories

vault

arched masonry structure that spans an interior space

Empress Theodora and her Attendants, sanctuary wall

San Vitale, Ravenna (Italy) c. 547

mosaic(tesserae)

commissioned by bishop while Italy under Ostogothic rule

Halos around the rulers

Mihrab, Mosque, Madrasa Imami

Isfahan, Iraq, 1345-55

glazed ceramic/faience mosaic

qibla wall of a mosque, prayer niche

contains script from Qur’an

Rose Window and Lancets, North Transept, Chartres Cathedral

France, c. 1230-1235

stained/painted glass

medieval, Gothic humanism

Qur’an folio

Central Islamic Lands, 9th C. -10th C.

gold/ink on parchment

Kufic script, diacritical marks

Sura: chapter title/marker in gold

Chi Rho Page, Gospel of Matthew, Book of Kells

Iona, Scotland, c. 800

ox gall, inks/pigments/vellum

“Chi Rho”— Christ

The Hour of Cowdust

Kangra School, Punjab, India, c. 1790

gouache/paper

Krishna

influenced by Mughal naturalism

calligraphy

handwriting as an art form

codex

a book, or group of manuscript pages (folios) held together by stitching or other binding on one side

illumination

a painting on paper or parchment used as illustration and/or decoration for manuscripts or albums

ink painting

a monochromatic style of painting developed in china using black ink with gray washes

interlace

a type of linear decoration in which ribbonlike bands are illusionistically depicted as if woven under and over one another

manuscript

a handwritten book or document

medium

the materials from which a work of art is made

narrative image

a picture that portrays an event drawn from a story, either factual or fictional

patron

institution or person who commissions or finances a work of art

vellum

a fine animal skin prepared for writing and painting

Purse lid, Sutton Hoo Ship Burial

Early Anglo-Saxon, early 7th C.

gold, garnet, glass

Celtic interlace

Heraldic beasts— apotropaic (averting evil)

Lidded Saltcellar

Sierra Leone, 15th-16th C.

Bullom or Temne and Portuguese collaboration

ivory

Indigenous belief systems: 4 snakes (wealth and danger) confront 4 dogs (associated to be spiritually astute) where the snakes represents the Portugese

Itinerant courts

Two Flasks

Ming Dynasty, China, c. 1403-1424

Porcelain, cobalt blue underglaze

Kaolin clay, named after porcellana shell

itinerant court

migratory form of government where central administration and monarch traveled continuously