ancient painting relevant terms

Relative Chronology

where dates are established by the relationship of artifacts to each other rather than events

Absolute Chronology

when dates are attached to fixed historical events

Terminus ante quem

the latest possible date for an artifact

Terminus post quem

the earliest possible date for an artifact

Periodization

the process of organizing artworks into periods or groups based on shared qualities

Visual Analysis

determining the basic visual qualities of a piece

Formal Analysis

centers on an objects form (material) and studies the elements/motifs, relationships, and qualities of that form

Stylistic Analysis

central to answering questions of production, this analysis examines the particular features that distinguish a work from others in other time periods

Iconography

generally refers to the image and what it conveys
the approach relies on both looking at the art and understanding the external information usually derived from textual sources

Iconology

the interpretation of meaning in images

Polychromy

when works feature a variety of colors

Pigment

substances that give paint its color

Frit

ceramic composition that has been fused, quenched, and granulated

Binder/binding agent

the substance that allows for pigment or paint to attach onto the surface of the material that is being decorated

Tempera

the application of a pigment onto a dry surface such as a panel or wall using a binding agent

Fresco

the application of pigments to a wall while its plaster is still wet

Ceramic painting/slip

using slip (clay + water) as binding agent the surface of a ceramic vessel is colored with pigments

Encaustic

the process of adding pigments to hot wax, applying them to a surface, then letting them dry

Upper Egypt

the land surrounding the southern portion of the Nile river

Lower Egypt

the land surrounding the northern portion of the Nile river

Kemet

ancient Egyptian name for Egypt, meaning “black land”

Desheret

the red crown of lower egypt

Dynasty/Dynastic

referring to a ruling system that is derived from a succession of rulers from the same line of descent

Pharaoh/Pharaonic

the time period in which Egypt was ruled by Pharaohs - lasted until the Macedonian conquest in 323 BCE

Hedjet crown

the white crown of upper egypt

Raised relief

relief seemingly “carved out” of the material on which it is impressed

Sunk/sunken relief

relief seemingly sunken into the material it is carved on

Hierarchy of scale

the use of differences in size to show relative importance (think ramesses v. sea peoples)

Artistic convention

the generally accepted or traditional way of representing forms in art

Aspective

a style of representation where subjects are depicted in a way that emphasizes their most recognizable features, regardless of naturalistic accuracy

Frontality

n which the human figure was represented with the head in profile, the eye and shoulders in front view, and the lower body in profile - HUGE in ancient egyptian art

Faience

man-made tin-glazed ceramic

Grid system

a set of ideal, mathematical ratios applied by the Egyptians to measure the various parts of the human body in relation to each other

Gesso

a white paint mixture used to coat rigid surfaces

Nilotic

art of/relating to the Nile river

Wedjat eye

classic Egyptian eye thing that embodies healing power and symbolizes rebirth

Ankh

the Egyptian hieroglyph meaning “life”, commonly placed in the hands of deities

Stele

an upright monument made of stone or wood, decorated or undecorated, and used to convey information with text and images - often funerary

Nine-bows

artistic motif meant to symbolize the enemy being trampled or entirely under control

Cartouche

the oval frame enclosing a set of hieroglyphs that stand for a name

Hatshepsut

female king of Egypt

Poly/Mono/Henotheism

Poly: worshipping multiple gods

Mono: worshipping one God
Heno: adherence to one god out of many, particularly by a specific group

Aten

Egyptian sun god

Amarna/Akhetaten

Akhetaten was the place that the royal pharaonic residence moved to
Amarna is the modern day name and also the time period - characterized by immense cultural and religious change

during the reign of Pharaoh Akhetaten

Amarna art

a period of art characterized by a sense of movement and activity in images, with figures having raised heads, many figures overlapping and many scenes busy and crowded
figures always shown in profile on reliefs

Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten

ruler during the amarna period
priest before he became pharaoh

Nefertiti

great royal wife of Akhenaten

Thutmose, sculptor

the “king’s favorite” sculptor during the Amarna period - prolific in defining the Amarna art characteristics

Tutankhamen

come back to

Ramesses/Ramesside

come back to

Ramesses II

come back to

Ramesses III

come back to

Avaris/Tell el-Daba’a

come back to

Hyksos

come back to but know it was a site hugely important for trade

Sea Peoples

generic (scholarly) name for the culture/society that is depicted as ravaging the Med during the late Bronze Age (1200 BCE)

Utilitarian

art that holds function as its priority, but still manages to be aesthetically pleasing

Light on dark

refers to a kind of Minoan style pottery where the ‘decoration’ or design is in white, set against a dark red or black background

Dark on light

the inverse of white or light on dark

Bichrome

a piece that only features two colors

Polychrome

a piece done in multiple colors

Minoan

an inhabitant of Crete or of the Minoan culture (Bronze Age civilization from 3000 - 1100 BCE)

Crete

island in the mediterranean - home of the Minoans

Knossos

huge, palatial site found on Crete

Vasiliki ware

Agios Onoufrios Ware

Kamares ware

Marine style

Floral style

Barbotine

Skeuomoprhic

imitates the appearance of other materials through design

Fresco secco

when the surface of a dry wall is soaked then painted, not allowing the pigments to penetrate past the surface

Buon fresco

where pigments are painted into/applied to wet plaster

Larnax

Dado

Socle

Figural painting

works depicting people! or recognizable figures from life

Landscape painting

art that depicts the natural world or landscape

Seascape painting

same as landscape, but for ocean

International style

Mycenae

Pylos

Thebes

Orchomenos

Gla

Wanax

Megaron

Cycoplean Masonry

a type of stonework found in Mycenaean architecture, built with massive limestone boulders, roughly fitted together with minimal clearance between adjacent stones and with clay mortar or no use of mortar

Heinrich Schliemann

1822-1890

German explorer and ‘archaeologist’ who was thought to be the one who discovered ‘Troy’ but in fact found and excavated most of Mycenae

Carl Blegen

1887-1971
largely excavated the site of Pylos in Greece