Art History Vocabulary Words – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
Contrapposto
answer
The Classical convention of representing standing human figures with opposing alternations of tension and relaxation on each side of a central axis.
question
Allegory
answer
In a work of art, an image (or images) that symbolizes an idea, concept, or principle, often suggesting a deeper meaning or moral message.
question
Trecento
answer
the 14th century as a period of Italian art, architecture, or literature.
question
Quattrocento
answer
the 15th century as a period of Italian art or architecture.
question
Cinquecento
answer
the 16th century as a period of Italian art or architecture.
question
Maesta
answer
designates an iconic formula of the enthroned Madonna with the child Jesus, whether or not accompanied with angels and saints.
question
Madonna
answer
the Virgin Mary. a picture, statue, or medallion of the Madonna, typically depicted seated and holding the infant Jesus.
question
Pieta
answer
a picture or sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Jesus Christ on her lap or in her arms.
question
Fresco
answer
A painting technique in which water-based pigments are applied to a surface of wet plaster and are absorbed into it, becoming part of the wall itself
question
Lamentation
answer
the passionate expression of grief or sorrow; weeping. "scenes of lamentation" synonyms:
question
Pointed Arch
answer
an arch with a pointed crown, characteristic of Gothic architecture.
question
Aerial Perspective
answer
the technique of representing more distant objects as fainter and more blue.
question
Mathematical Perspective
answer
a type of perspective used by artists in which the relative size, shape, and position of objects are determined by drawn or imagined lines converging at a point on the horizon
question
Glazing
answer
An outermost layer of vitreous liquid that, upon firing, renders ceramics waterproof, and forms a decorative surface. In painting, a technique particularly used with oil media in which a transparent layer of paint is laid over another, usually lighter, painted or glazed area. In architecture, the process and technique of filling openings in a building with windows of clear stained glass.
question
Diptych
answer
a painting, especially an altarpiece, on two hinged wooden panels that may be closed like a book.
question
Triptych
answer
a picture or relief carving on three panels, typically hinged together side by side and used as an altarpiece.
question
Polyptych
answer
a painting, typically an altarpiece, consisting of more than three leaves or panels joined by hinges or folds.
question
Trompe l'oeil
answer
visual illusion in art, especially as used to trick the eye into perceiving a painted detail as a three-dimensional object.
question
Chiaroscuro
answer
the treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting.
question
Sfumato
answer
Hazy, smoky visual effect on a painting
question
Altarpiece
answer
a work of art, especially a painting on wood, set above and behind an altar.
question
Engraving
answer
a print made from an engraved plate, block, or other surface.
question
Woodcuts
answer
a print of a type made from a design cut in a block of wood, formerly widely used for illustrations in books.
question
Figura Serpentinata
answer
a style in painting and sculpture that is typical of Mannerism. It is similar, but not identical, to contrapposto, and features figures often in a spiral pose. Early examples can be seen in the work of Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo.
question
Memento Mori
answer
an object serving as a warning or reminder of death, such as a skull.
question
Still Life
answer
a painting or drawing of an arrangement of objects, typically including fruit and flowers and objects contrasting with these in texture, such as bowls and glassware.
question
Tenebrism
answer
dramatic illumination, is a style of painting using very pronounced chiaroscuro, where there are violent contrasts of light and dark, and where darkness becomes a dominating feature of the image
question
Impasto
answer
the process or technique of laying on paint or pigment thickly so that it stands out from a surface.
question
Pointillism
answer
a technique of neo-impressionist painting using tiny dots of various pure colors, which become blended in the viewer's eye. It was developed by Georges Seurat with the aim of producing a greater degree of luminosity and brilliance of color.
question
Plein Air Technique
answer
French expression which means "in the open air" and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors, which is also called peinture sur le motif ("painting of the object(s) or what the eye actually sees") in French.
question
Collage
answer
a piece of art made by sticking various different materials such as photographs and pieces of paper or fabric onto a backing.
