Art Appreciation

How a work of art is displayed

Presentation

The desire to describe the world in a way that is unadulterated by the imagination and is not romanticized

Realism

the fine art of handwriting

Calligraphy

the meaning of an image

Content

The time period, social conditions, and other circumstances that surround a piece of art

Context

An artificial environment typically created indoors.

Installation

The rendering of images and objects in a stylized or simplified way, so that they remain recognizable, their formal or expressive aspects are emphasized.

Abstract

A foundation to many religions referring to the belief in the existence of souls and the conviction that nonhuman things can be endowed with a soul

Animism

Meant to teach a lesson.

Didactic

The overall structure of a work of art.

Form

The study of symbols; a system of visual images the meaning of which is widely understood by a given culture or cultural group.

Iconography

Any material used to create a work of art

Medium

Symbolic hand gestures that refer to both general states of mind and to specific events in the life of the Buddha.

Mudra

Art that makes no reference to the natural world. The form equals the content.

Nonrepresentational/ Nonobjective

Any work of art that seeks to resemble the world of natural appearance.

Representational (realism)

what the image literally depicts

Subject Matter

That which impresses the mind with a sense of grandeur and power, inspiring a sense of awe.

Sublime

A visual image that represents something more than its literal meaning

Symbol