art history terms

Manuscript and Bookmaking Terms:

1. Author Page: A decorated page in a manuscript highlighting the author, often with their portrait or symbolic imagery.

2. Canon Table: A reference table in illuminated manuscripts linking corresponding Gospel passages.

3. Carpet Page: A fully decorated page in an illuminated manuscript, often geometric or interlaced, resembling a woven carpet.

4. Codex: An ancient manuscript in book form, made of bound leaves rather than a scroll.

5. Colophon: A note at the end of a manuscript providing information about its production, such as the scribe’s name or date.

6. Evangelist Symbols: Iconography representing the Four Evangelists: Matthew (winged man), Mark (lion), Luke (ox), and John (eagle).

7. Folio: A single sheet of a manuscript, consisting of a recto (front) and verso (back) side.

8. Gospels: The four books of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that recount Jesus’ life and teachings.

9. Illuminated Manuscript: A handwritten text adorned with elaborate decorations, gold leaf, and miniature illustrations.

10. Initial Page: A page with a large, elaborate letter marking the start of a text or section.

11. Parchment: Writing material made from the treated skin of sheep or goats.

12. Psalter: A book containing the Psalms from the Bible, often illuminated for devotional use.

13. Scriptoria/Scriptorium: Monastic workshops where scribes copied and illustrated manuscripts.

14. Vellum: High-quality parchment made from calfskin.

15. Verso/Recto: The back (verso) and front (recto) sides of a folio.

Decorative Arts Terms:

16. Cabochon: A gemstone polished but not faceted, often used in medieval jewelry.

17. Cames: Lead strips that join pieces of colored glass in stained glass windows.

18. Cloisonné: A metalwork technique where compartments (cloisons) are filled with enamel or gemstones.

19. Embroidery: Decorative designs stitched onto fabric using thread and a needle.

20. Enamel: A decorative technique using melted glass applied to a surface, often metal or ceramics.

21. Gadrooning: Ornamental convex patterns often seen in metalwork or wood carving.

22. Grisaille: A monochromatic painting technique, often using shades of gray to mimic sculpture.

23. Heraldic Motif: Decorative patterns or symbols resembling those on coats of arms.

24. Hierarchy of Scale: An artistic convention where the size of figures denotes their importance.

25. High Cross: A large, freestanding Christian cross, often elaborately carved, from the medieval period.

26. Lancet Window: A tall, narrow window with a pointed arch, commonly used in Gothic architecture.

27. Repoussé: A metalworking technique where designs are hammered into relief from the reverse side.

28. Relics: Physical remains or objects associated with saints or holy figures, venerated in religious contexts.

29. Reliquary: A container used to hold and display sacred relics.

30. Rose Window: A circular stained-glass window with radiating patterns, typical of Gothic cathedrals.

31. Stained Glass: Colored glass used in windows, often depicting biblical scenes or abstract designs.

32. Tapestry: A woven textile featuring decorative designs or scenes, hung on walls for decoration or insulation.

33. Tracery: Ornamental stonework in Gothic windows, divided into bar tracery (slender supports) and plate tracery (heavier, pierced stone panels).

Art Styles and Periods:

34. Carolingian: Art of the Carolingian Empire (8th–9th centuries), reviving Roman classical forms.

35. Celtic: Art associated with early medieval Ireland and Britain, characterized by intricate patterns and interlacing.

36. Gothic: Architectural and artistic style (12th–16th centuries) with pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses.

37. Hiberno-Saxon: Early medieval art from Ireland and Britain, combining Celtic and Anglo-Saxon styles.

38. Insular: Early medieval art of the British Isles, marked by intricate decoration and illuminated manuscripts.

39. Merovingian: Early medieval Frankish art (5th–8th centuries), notable for abstract and ornamental designs.

40. Mozarabic: Art of Christians living under Islamic rule in medieval Spain, blending Islamic and Christian styles.

41. Ottonian: Early medieval art (10th–11th centuries) associated with the Holy Roman Empire, emphasizing monumental forms.

42. Romanesque: Medieval art (11th–12th centuries) known for its massive architecture, round arches, and rich sculpture.

43. Viking/Norseman: Art of the Scandinavian Vikings, featuring shipbuilding, intricate metalwork, and runestones.

44. Rayonnant: A phase of Gothic architecture focusing on elaborate tracery and light-filled interiors.

45. Flamboyant: Late Gothic style marked by intricate, flame-like tracery and elaborate ornamentation.

Historical Contexts:

46. The Crusades: Medieval religious wars (11th–13th centuries) aiming to reclaim the Holy Land from Islamic rule.

47. Feudalism: A medieval social system based on a hierarchy of lords and vassals exchanging land for service.

48. Pilgrimage: A religious journey to a sacred site, often to venerate relics or seek spiritual benefits.

49. Monasticism: A religious lifestyle of asceticism and community living, associated with Benedictines (rule of St. Benedict) and Cistercians (emphasizing simplicity).

Architectural Terms:

50. Ambulatory: A walkway around the apse of a church, allowing access to chapels.

51. Archivolt: Curved moldings framing an arch, often decorated in Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

52. Apse: A semicircular recess in a church, usually at the east end, housing the altar.

53. Bay: A vertical division of a building’s interior or exterior, marked by columns or arches.

54. Buttress: A projecting support for walls, strengthening against lateral forces.

55. Cathedral: A church that serves as the seat of a bishop.

56. Chapter House: A meeting room for monks or clergy in a monastery or cathedral.

57. Choir: The area of a church where clergy and choir members sit, often near the altar.

58. Clerestory: The upper level of a church with windows, above the aisles, to admit light.

59. Cloister: A covered walkway in a monastery, enclosing a courtyard.

60. Compound Pier: A clustered column or pier composed of shafts and supports, typical of Gothic architecture.

61. Crossing: The area where the nave and transept intersect in a church.

62. Crossing Tower: A tower located above the crossing of a church.

63. Cruciform: A cross-shaped architectural plan.

64. Elevation: The vertical face of a building or the arrangement of its parts.

65. Finials: Decorative elements that terminate spires or pinnacles.

66. Flying Buttress: An external support arch transferring roof weight to a pier away from the wall.

67. Gable: A triangular portion of a wall, often seen at the end of a roof.

68. Historiated Capital: A column capital carved with narrative scenes.

69. Jambs: Vertical supports flanking a doorway or window, often sculpted in Gothic architecture.

70. Lintel: A horizontal beam spanning an opening, supporting weight above it.

71. Narthex: The entrance or lobby area of a church, preceding the nave.

72. Nave: The central longitudinal space of a church, flanked by aisles.

73. Nave Arcade: A series of arches separating the nave from the aisles.

74. Pier: A vertical support for arches, walls, or other structures.

75. Pinnacles: Decorative pointed elements on buttresses or spires, enhancing stability and aesthetics.

76. Portal: A grand, often elaborately decorated, entrance to a building.

77. Radiating Chapel: Small chapels projecting from the ambulatory of a church.

78. Refectory: A dining hall in a monastery or convent.

79. Ribs (Transverse and Diagonal): Structural elements of a vault forming its framework.

80. Springer: The lowest stone of an arch or rib, where it begins to rise.

81. Transept: The arms of a cross-shaped church, perpendicular to the nave.

82. Triforium: A gallery or arcade above the nave arcade and below the clerestory.

83. Trumeau: A central post supporting the lintel of a portal.

84. Tympanum: A sculpted panel above a doorway, within an arch.

85. Vault (Barrel, Groin, Rib): Arched ceiling