Art Final Vocabulary
Kore
"maiden" or "girl"
megalith
large monuments created from huge stone slabs
gilt
laying of gold onto a surface
illuminations
manuscript pages with delicate miniature paintings done in silver, gold, and rich colors; created anonymously
post-and-lintel construction
massive posts support cross beams, or lintels; simplest and oldest way to construct and opening
art media
materials used to create works of art
didactic
meaning to teach those who cannot read; spreading the Christian message; teaching through pictures
high relief
the sculptured forms extend boldly out into space
volume
the space within a form
relief scultpure
3-dimensional forms are attached to a flat surface designed to be viewed from the front
imitationalism
the theory that art should imitate life and look lifelike before it can be successful; emphasis on literal qualities
formalism
the theory that states that the most important aspect of a work of art is the effective use of the principles of art to arrange the elements of art; emphasis on design qualities
Paleolithic Period
Old Stone Age; believed to have lasted from 30,000 B.C. until about 10,000 B.C.
emotionalism
the theory that the success of an art work depends on its ability to communicate an emotion or idea to the viewer, emphasis on expressive qualities
wet media
those media in which the coloring agent is suspended in a liquid
decision making
act of making up one's mind
dry media
those media that are applied dry and without moisture
internal clues
clues and information found within the work itself
art historian
concerned with gathering information about works of art and the artists who created them
aesthetics
a branch of philosophy concerned with beauty
pilgrimage
a journey to a holy place
contour line
a line or lines that surround the edges of an object or figures
binder
a liquid that holds together the grains of pigment
Kouros
a male youth who may have been a god or athlete; "youth"
casting
a melted-down metal or other liquid substance is poured into a mold to harden
paradigm
a perfect or excellent example
lithography
a printmaking method in which the image to be printed is drawn on limestone, zinc, or aluminum witth a special greasy crayon
modeling
a process in which a soft, pliable material is built up and shaped into a sculptural form; additive process
intaglio
a process in which ink is forced to fill lines cit into a metal surface
colonnade
a row of columns
kinetic art
a sculptural form that actually moves in space
sarcophagus
a stone coffin
ground
a surface on which media is placed
feudalism
a system in which weak nobleman gave up their lands and much of their freedom to more powerful lords in exchange for protection; result of instability
photography
a technique of capturing optical images on light-sensitive surfaces
rib vault
a vault that is decorated with diagonal ribs
design chart
aid in analyzing an art work; helps to identy the most important design relationships linking the elements and principles in a work
ambulatory
an aisle curving around the main altar
transept
an aisle that cuts directly across the nave and the side aisles
hieroglyphics
an early form of picture writing
axis line
an imaginary line that is traced through an object or several objects in a picture
cloister
an open court or garden and the covered walkway surrounding it
sculpture in the round
any freestanding work surrounded on all sides by space
digital media
any kind of media that can be used, processed, and transformed by a computer system
fine arts
art that has no practical use
Romanesque
artistic style during the 11th and 12th centuries developed in Italy and western Europe between the Roman and Gothic periods
art principles
balance, emphasis, harmony, variety, gradation, movement, rhythm, and proportion; different ways that elements of art are used in a work of art
art elements
basic components that make up all art
frontal
belonging to the front part
carving
cutting or chipping a form from a given mass of material poured to create a sculpture; subtractive process
Greek Order
decorative styles developed by the Greeks; set of rules
art crticism
discussiona dn evaluation of art; what you get from the art work; four operations: description, analysis, interpretation,a nd judgement
burin
engarcing tool used to cut lines directly into a metal plate
pigment
finely ground powder that gives the paint its color
relief sculpture
forms project from a background or flat surface; meant to be viewed from the front
tympanum
half-round panel that fills the space between the lintel and the arch over the doorway of the church
art movement
having the same stylistic features, but created by different artists
design qualities
how well the work is organized, or put together
external clues
information gathered about an artwork; outside information
interpretation
involves discovering how the artist is influenced by the world around him or her
analysis
involves discovering the unique features of an artwork that determine its artistic style
description
involves disovering when, where, with what media, and by whom the work was done
judgement
involves making a decision about a work's importance in the history of art
henge
large earthwork with a bank and ditch arrangement
contrapposto
naatural stance when a human shifts weight to one side
Dark Ages
name for Middle Ages at one time; suggests that the period represented many blank pages in the history of western civilization; little culture or creativity; after the fall of the Roman Empire
mass
outside size and bulk of a form
screen printing
paint is forced through a screen onto paper or fabric
prehistoric
period before history was recorded
Hellenistic Period
period that included dramatic and often violent images in bronze and marble sculptures; expression of inner emotion more important that beauty to artist; 300 B.C.- 146 B.C.
Archaic Period
period that included stiff poses and free-standing, Egyptian-like sculptures; 600 B.C.-480 B.C.
Classical Period
period when Greek sculpture reached its peak; included more natural poses; 480 B.C.-300 B.C.
Geometric Period
period when decorations included vases with bands of simple geometric patterns; 900 B.C.-700 B.C.
style
personal way of using the elements and principles to reproduce what they see and to express their feelings
cartoon
plan for a tapestry
tapestries
textile wall hangings that were woven, painted, or embroidered with colorful scenes; hand woven
museum
provides a space for preserving, exhibiting, and viewing works of art
aesthetic qualities
quality of art that involves creation for simply visual appeal and the pleasure it brings to those who understand and appreciate the creative effects of artists
literal qualities
realistic presentation of subject matter
monasteries
remote religious communities wgere monks lived under a strict set of rules
Acropolis
sacred hill of Athens; where the Parthenon is located
aesthetician
scholar who specializes in identifying the criteria to be used in determining the significance of artworks
bas relief
sculpture in which the forms project only slightly from the background; often in the tympanum
engaged sculpture
sculpture that is not attached to the wall but meant to be viewed only from the front; appears to be attached to the original stone
realism
shows an object as it actually appears
radiating chapels
small curved chapels built along the traanspet and ambulatory
criteria
standards of judgement
art processes
the action involved in making art
architecture
the art and science of designing and constructing structures that enclose space for a variety of human needs
assembly
the artist joins together a variety of different materials to construct a 3-dimensional work of art; modern technique
applied arts
the design or decoration of functional objects to make them pleasing to the eye
relief printing
the image to be printed is raised from the background
unity
the look and feel of wholeness or oneness in a work of art; elements and principles working together
solvent
the material used to thin the binder and paint
expressive qualities
the meaning, mood, or idea communicated to the viewer
problem solving
the process involved in the creation of art where an open-ended problem with no "right" answers is explored
mummy
the result of the Egyptians' complicated embalming process being performed on a dead body
visual arts
unique expression of ideas, beliefs, experiences, and feelings in well-designed visual forms
encaustic painting
uses colored wax; technique where pigments are mixed with beeswax and ground is a wooden panel
funeral vase
vases used in the same way as tombstones are used today, as grave markers
