Sophia Art History I Units 2 Key Terms
Synagogue
A Jewish house of worship
Yakshi
A benevolent, protective, natural spirit, usually depicted as a voluptuous female in ancient Indian art
Concrete
A building material made from cement and crushed stone or sand
Basilica
A columned meeting hall in ancient Rome; later, a church with columns
Mandala
A concentric diagram with spiritual and ritual importance in Buddhism and Hinduism
Drum
A cylindrical stone that forms part of a column
Trefoil
A decorative shape with three lobes
Lamassu
A deity of Sumerian origin usually depicted with a bull's or lion's body, eagle's wings, and a human head
Sunken Relief
A design cut into the surface where there is no point or part higher than the surface itself
Hypostyle
A form of architecture that has a roof supported by columns
Peristyle Gardens
A garden located near a columned porch in a Roman house
Frieze
A horizontal band of sculpture, usually near the ceiling of a building
Necropolis
A large cemetery or burial ground, literally "city of the dead"
Nave
A long central aisle that extends the whole length of the church
Labyrinth
A maze or series of intricate and confusing passageways, so called because of the labrys (double-headed axe) symbols found on walls of structures of Crete
Ziggurat
A mesopotamian temple shaped as a pyramd tower and having a number of stories, that is winding and round
Dharma
A moral order that keeps the universe from falling into chaos, an essential individual characteristic or virtue in Hinduism and Buddhism
Minotaur
A mythological half-man, half-bull that lived on Crete
Contrapposto
A naturalistic pose in which the human figure places most of the weight on one foot, resting the other foot and creating a slight tilt in the pelvis
Stucco
A plaster used for coating wall surfaces
Chaityal Hall
A prayer hall in a Buddhist or Jain shrine
Bronze Age
A prehistoric period between the Stone Age and the Iron Age when many tools and weapons were made of bronze
Pictographs
A record that is made up of symbolic representations
Impluvium
A rectangular basin for collecting rainwater, usually located in the middle of an atrium
Buddhism
A religion based on the teachings of the Buddha, which emphasizes that all suffering in life comes from desire and that the way to achieve nirvana, or enlightenment, and release from the cycle of life is to eliminate one's earthly desires
Jainism
A religion founded in ancient India that teaches the immortality and transmigration of the soul and denies the existence of a perfect or supreme being
Peplos
A robe or shawl worn by women in ancient Greece
Stupa
A sacred spot, in memory of the Buddha or a saint, designated by a mound of earth or other materials
Relief Sculpture
A sculpture technique that uses a process of cutting into a flat surface, i.e., wood, stone, or other material, by chiseling or gouging
Colonnade
A series of columns
Dynasty
A series of rulers from the same family
Post and Lintel Construction
A simple construction consisting of two vertical beams, or posts, and one horizontal beam, or lintel
Stele
A slab of stone or terra-cotta, usually oblong, carved
Entasis
A slight bulging, most commonly associated with the Parthenon, that is meant to offset the optical illusion of sagging of perfectly straight lines, particularly along the entablature
Harmika
A small platform with a railing located at the top of a stupa
Metope
A square element between triglyphs (three bands) on a Doric statue
"Man is the measure of all things"
A statement made by the ancient Greek philosopher Protagoreas, often interpreted to mean that human beings, rather than the gods, determine the ultimate value of all things in the world
Monument
A statue, building, or other structure that commemorates an important event or person
Sarcophagus
A stone coffin, often decorated with sculpture
Orientalizing
A style of Greek ceramic painting influenced by the ancient Near East and characterized by floral and animal motifs
Geometric
A style of Greek painting, characterized by an emphasis on geometric shapes
Veristic Style
A style of ancient Roman portaiture that emphasized a person's age and physical imperfections as a reference to wisdom and experience
Idealistic Style
A style of portraiture that reduces a person's physical imperfections, giving an appearance of youth and athleticism
Canon of Polykleitos
A system of ideal proportions for the human figure, seen in the "Doryphorus" by Pholykleitos, in which the size of the head was 1/8 of the total height of the figure
Hinduism
A system of religious practice in India that emphasizes the idea of dharma, or duty, and corresponding daily rituals and practices
Corbelling
A system of step support elements
Hieriatic Scale
A system that represents sizes of things according to importance and based on fixed religious traditions
Mastaba
A type of Egyptian tomb, rectangular, brick or stone, flat-roofed with sloping sides built over a tomb and connected to it by a shaft
Black Figure
A type of ancient Greek ceramic painting involving painting black figures on a red background
Red figure
A type of ancient Greek ceramic painting involving red figures on a black background
Peripteral Temple
A type of ancient Greek or Roman temple surrounded by a row of columns
Round Arch
A type of arch that consists of a semicircle
Abstraction (of the human figure)
A type of art that involves a simplification, usually into geometric shapes, of objects (bodies) seen in lived experience
Controlled Space
A type of civic design intended to impress or intimidate the viewer
Phidian Wet Drapery
A type of drapery first used by the sculptor Phidias that clings to the human figure and appears to be wet
Buon Fresco
A type of fresco in which the plaster is still wet and the paint bonds with the plaster
Triumphal Arch
A type of monument, originating in ancient Rome, that consists of an arch built to commemorate a military victory
Low Relief
A type of relief sculpture in which the three-dimensional element only extends from the wall surface a little bit.
Chryselephantine
A type of sculpture made of gold and ivory
Sculpture in the Round
A type of sculpture that is completely free-standing, not attached to another surface
Barrel Vault
A type of vault consisting of a rounded arch extended forward in space
Iconography
A type of visual symbolism; Christian iconography, for instance, might make references to the biblical section of the nativity
Dome
A vaulted roof element having a rounded, semi-circular, or elliptical shape
Megalith
A very large stone
Oculus
An "eye" or round hole in the top of a dome that lightens its weight and allows in natural light
Canon of Proportions
An Egyptian rule that mandated dimensions and scale
Fertile cresent
An agricultural region in the Middle and Near East, in the past it was fertile but is now partly desert
Domus
An ancient Roman house, usually for the wealthy
Descriptive point of view
An approximate representation of a three-dimensional form on a flat, two-dimensional surface
Kore
An archaic Greek sculpture of a young woman wearing loose robes
Kouros
An archiac Greek sculptural image of a young, athletic man, usually nude, standing with one foot in from of the other
Peristyle
An architectural space, such as a court, that is surrounded by columns
Aqueduct
An architectural structure built to move large quantities of water from one place to another
Apse
An architectural term; a recess or semi-circular space in a building, vaulted and, in a church, often used by the choir
Ambulatory
An area for walking, usually semi-circular, around the apse of a church
Podium
An elevated platform
Bust
An image of a person that consists of the head and upper torso
Portrait
An image of an individual person
Memory Image
An image that remains in the mind of something previously experienced
Ashoka
An important Buddhist king of 3rd century BC India, known for his edicts posted at the top of monumental pillars
Sarnath
An important pilgrimage site where the first Buddhist Sargha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna
Artifacts
An object made by a human being, in particular and object of historical or cultural importance
Ampitheater
An open-air building with rounded edges and tiered seating that is used for entertainment
Atrium
An open-roofed court in the center of an ancient Roman house
Catacombs
An underground cemetery with tunnels and rooms with burial chambers
Mesopotamia
Ancient area between the Tirgris and Euphrates Rivers
Pseudoperipteral
Appearing to have columns extending around all four sides when in fact some of the columns are not free-standing, but rather attached and decorative
Syncretism
Attempt at uniting differing or opposing practices in religion
Cubicula
Burial chambers in a catacomb
Cyclopean Construction
Construction done with masonry consisting of blocks so large that they appeared to have been built by Cyclops (a huge one-eyed, humanoid monster)
Agrarian
Farming or relating to land
Anionic
Not allowing images or idols
Mauryan Period
One of the larges ancient Indian empires during the 4th to 2nd century BC
Aton
Or aten; the disk of the sun in ancient Egyptian mythology
Edicts
Orders commanded by an authority or supreme ruler
Fresco Painting
Painting in water-based paints on fresh plaster
Aegean
Relating to the Aegean Sea and/or the Bronze Age civilization that flourished there
Minoan
Relating to the Bronze Age civilization that existed on the island of Crete, named after the mythological King Minos
Cycladic
Relating to the Cyclades, a group of islnads in the Aegean Sea, also used to discuss Bronze Age civilizations that flourished there
Archaic
Period of Greek art that literally means "old-fashioned" and refers to depictions of the human figure from this period that are stiff and unnatural in appearance
Coffers
Square-shaped elements in the surface of a ceiling or dome, with both a decorative function and a practical one of lightening the weight
Cubical
Square-shaped rooms in a Roman house
Ka
The Egyptian belief that identifies the difference between the living and the dead; when the body dies, the ka departs
Zeus
The Greek father of all the gods
Poseidon
The Greek god of the sea
Aphrodite
The Greek goddess of love
Athena
The Greek goddess of wisdom
Circumambulation
The act of circling around a sacred or deity object
Axial Plan
The horizontal arrangement of the elements of a building or town along a central axis
Nile River
The longest river in the world, located in East Africa, and flowing from the Mediterranean Sea
Shaft
The main body of a column; in ancient Greece, it was usually flutd, or marked with vertical ridges
Cathedral
The main church that contains the bishop's throne
Mahavira
The man who established the central tenets of Jainism
Corinthian Order
The most recent of the three classical orders of column and also the most refined and decorative, marked by acanthus leaf decorations at the capital
Vedas
The oldest and most authoritative texts, written in Sanskrit
Abstraction
The process of extracting parts of an idea or concept not specific or detailed
Ridgepole
The ridged element at the top of Etruscan temples
Doric Order
The simplest and oldest style of Greek column, marked by an undecorated capital
Corbeled Vault
The simplest type of vault, involving step support elements
Archaic Smile
The stiff, unnaturalistic facial expression seen in many Archaic korous and kore figures
Neolithic
The stone age, 7000-3000 BC
Keystone
The stone that lies at the top of an arch and holds the entire arch together
Voussoirs
The stones that make up an arch
Archaeology
The study of human history and prehistory through the evacuation of sites and analysis of artifacts
Capital
The top of a column
Entablature
The upper section of a classical Greek temple that rests on the columns
Aisles
The walkway between the sections of seats; for example, in a theater
Serdab
Used during the Old Kingdom, a cellar and a chamber for the ka statue of a deceased person
Optical view
Viewed from a fixed perspective
Twisted Perspective
When you view a form where the upper half is in a frontal pose and the lower half is in a side view
Pylon Temple
In architecture, i.e. Egyptian temple, a large opening, doorway, or entrance
Individualism
In art and portraiture, the emphasis placed on a person's unique physical characteristics
Axis Mundi
In religion or mythology, the center or connection between heaven and earth; the point where communication can occur between higher and lower regions
Osiris
Egyptian god and judge of the dead represented as a man partly wrapped as a mummy, with a beard and wearing a crown
Seth
Egyptian god of deserts, storms, and foreigners, also called Set
Isis
Egyptian goddess of fertility, represented as a woman with cow's horns and a solar disk between them, also worshipped in ancient Rome and Greece
Ankh
Egyptian key of life or key of the Nile, a hieroglyphic of a looped cross with a handle
Horus
Egyptian sun deity, represented by a falcon or as a man with the head of a falcon
Ra
Egyptian sun god, a universal creator typically represented as a hawk-headed man with a solar disk and uraeus, or cobra, on his head
Fresco Secco
Dry fresco, so called because it involves painting on the wall after the plaster has already dried
Paleolithic
Early stage of prehistory characterized by the developement of stone tools, sculpted figures, and paintings on cave walls
Orant Figures
Image of a person in the early Christian position of prayer, with arms outstretched
Torana (gates)
In Hindu and Buddhist architecture, a type of gateway
Naturalism
In a work of art, the quality of appearing lifelike and natural
Beehive Tomb
Large, round rooms found at Thycenae
Lares and Penates
Minor deities associated with the home in ancient Rome
Ashoka Pillars
Pillars inscribed with the edicts by Mauryan king Ashoka
Rosettes
Rose-shaped elements, often in the middle of coffers
Spolia
Sculptural elements taken from the buildings of a place that has been conquered and often incorporated into triumphal arches
Panathenaic Procession Sculpture
Sculpture on the frieze of the Parthenon celebrating a festival honoring Athena and involving the ritual of bringing a new peplos; or cloak, to the statue of Athena
Votive Figures
Sculptures placed in a shrine in fulfillment of a vow
Masonry
Stonework
Ashlar Masonry
Stonework made of large, rectangular cut stones
Gandhara Style
Stucco or stone sculptures, a style of Buddhist art that showed Greek and Indian influences
Yasti
Symbolizes the universe, a circular disk positioned on top of the dome of the stupa
Register
The division of a composition into bands
Apotheosis
The elevation of a person to the status of a god, often seen in ancient Roman portraits of emperors and busts of deceased family members
