ARTH Midterm Vocab

Nomadic – A lifestyle of moving from place to place without permanent settlement. Example: Many ancient tribes were nomadic, following herds of animals for food.

Agrarian – Relating to farming or rural life, based on cultivating land. Example: Early civilizations often developed in fertile agrarian regions near rivers.

Registers – Horizontal bands or sections in art, used to organize visual elements. Example: Egyptian tomb paintings often used registers to separate different scenes.

Defacement – The act of damaging or disfiguring a surface or artwork. Example: Defacement of statues during invasions was common in ancient times.

Hieratic – A simplified, formal style of ancient Egyptian writing, used for religious texts. Example: Hieratic script was often used by priests to record sacred rituals.

Ziggurat – A terraced, stepped pyramid-like structure used in ancient Mesopotamia, often as a temple. Example: The ziggurat of Ur is a well-preserved example of Mesopotamian architecture.

Lamassu – A protective deity in Assyrian culture, depicted as a winged bull or lion with a human head. Example:Lamassu statues guarded the entrances of Assyrian palaces.

Mastaba – A flat-roofed, rectangular tomb structure from ancient Egypt, used before pyramids. Example: Mastabas were the precursors to the grand pyramids built for Egyptian royalty.

Stepped Pyramid – A pyramid consisting of several stacked platforms, forming a step-like structure. Example: The Stepped Pyramid of Djoser was the first monumental stone building in Egypt.

Twisted Perspective – A style in which figures are shown in a combination of profile and frontal views. Example:Ancient Egyptian art often used twisted perspective to show both the head and body clearly.

Polytheism – The belief in or worship of multiple gods. Example: The Greeks practiced polytheism, worshipping gods like Zeus and Athena.

Monotheism – The belief in or worship of one god. Example: Judaism was one of the earliest religions to adopt monotheism.

Column – A vertical, cylindrical support structure in architecture. Example: Greek temples are famous for their tall, fluted columns.

Capital – The topmost part of a column, often decorated. Example: The Ionic order is known for its scroll-like capitals.

Pediment – A triangular upper part of a building front, above the columns. Example: The Parthenon features a sculpted pediment depicting mythological scenes.

Archaic – An early period of ancient Greek art, marked by stiff, formalized figures. Example: Archaic Greek sculptures often have a rigid stance and a slight smile, known as the "Archaic smile."

Contrapposto – A pose in sculpture where the weight is shifted to one leg, giving a sense of movement. Example:Contrapposto is used in the famous statue of David by Michelangelo, creating a lifelike balance.

Buddhism – A religion and philosophy based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha), focusing on the path to enlightenment. Example: Buddhism spread from India to East Asia, influencing art, culture, and religious practices.

Porcelain – A type of fine, high-fired ceramic known for its strength, translucency, and delicate appearance. Example:Chinese porcelain, especially from the Ming dynasty, became highly prized across the world for its beauty.

Haniwa – Terracotta clay figures placed around Japanese burial mounds, used in funerary practices. Example: Haniwa figures, often shaped like warriors or animals, were believed to protect the deceased in the afterlife.

Bodhisattva – In Buddhism, a being who has attained enlightenment but chooses to remain in the world to help others achieve enlightenment. Example: The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is often depicted as a compassionate figure aiding those on the path to nirvana.

Haboku – A Japanese painting technique using splashes of ink, creating abstract, expressive landscapes. Example: The haboku technique was favored by Zen monks, as it embodied the spontaneous and intuitive nature of enlightenment.

Wabi Sabi – A Japanese aesthetic that values simplicity, imperfection, and the beauty of natural aging. Example: Wabi sabi can be seen in the appreciation of a weathered teacup or a simple, rustic garden.

Scale – The relative size or proportion of objects in a work of art or architecture. Example: The large scale of the Great Buddha of Kamakura was designed to inspire awe and reverence in viewers.

Linear Perspective – A technique in art that creates the illusion of depth by using converging lines toward a single point. Example: Linear perspective was perfected during the Renaissance by artists like Brunelleschi and used famously in da Vinci's The Last Supper.

Aerial Perspective – A technique that shows depth by depicting distant objects with less detail and paler, bluer colors. Example: Leonardo da Vinci used aerial perspective in Mona Lisa to create a sense of vast, receding landscape.

Chiaroscuro – The use of strong contrasts between light and shadow to give the illusion of volume in painting. Example: Renaissance artists like Caravaggio mastered chiaroscuro to highlight drama and emotion in their works.

Fresco – A method of painting on freshly applied wet plaster, allowing the pigments to bond with the wall surface. Example: Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling is one of the most famous frescoes of the Renaissance.

Triptych – A three-paneled artwork, often used in altarpieces, with central and side panels that are related thematically. Example: Renaissance artists used triptychs in churches, such as The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch.

Diptych – A two-paneled artwork, usually hinged, often used for portable religious devotion. Example: Renaissance diptychs were commonly used as personal altarpieces, displaying religious themes across both panels.

Mannerism – A style that emerged after the High Renaissance, characterized by elongated figures, unusual compositions, and exaggerated poses. Example: Mannerism can be seen in the work of artists like Pontormo, who used distorted figures and striking color contrasts.

Serpentine – A style of composition in art where figures are arranged in a twisting, snake-like pose to create dynamic movement. Example: The serpentine pose is characteristic of Mannerist works, as seen in Michelangelo’s sculpture Victory.