anthropomorphic
having characteristics of the human form, although the form itself is not human
archaeology
the scientific study of ancient people and cultures principally revealed through excavation
cong
a tubular object with a circular hole cut into a square-like cross section
henge
a neolithic monument, characterized by a circular ground plan. used for rituals and marking astronomical events
lintel
a horizontal beam over an opening
megalith
a stone of great size used in the construction of a prehistoric structure
menhir
a large uncut stone erected as a monument in the prehistoric era; a standing stone
mortise-and-tenon
a groove cut into stone or wood, called a mortise, that is shaped to receive a tenon, or a projection, of the same dimensions
post-and-lintel
a method of construction in which two posts support a horizontal beam, called a lintel
shamanism
a religion in which good and even are brought about by spirits which can be influenced by shamans, who have access to these spirits
stele, stelae
an upright stone slab used to mark a grave or site
stylized
a schematic, nonrealistic manner of representing the visible world and its contents, abstracted from the way they appear in nature
apadana
an audience hall in a Persian palace
apotropaic
having the power to ward off evil or bad luck
capital
the top element of a column
cella
the main room of a temple where the god is housed
cuneiform
a system of writing in which the strokes are formed in a wedge or arrowhead shape
facade
the front of a building; sometimes, more poetically, a speaker will refer to a "side facade" or "rear facade
ground plan
the map of a floor of a building
hierarchy of scale
a system of representation that expresses a person's importance by the size of his or her representation in a work of art
lamassu
a colossal winged human-headed bull in Assyrian art
negative space
empty space around an object or person, such as the cut-out areas between a figure's legs or arms of a sculpture
register
a horizontal band, often on top of another, that tells a narrative story
relief sculpture
sculpture that projects from a flat background
bas relief
a very shallow relief sculpture
votive
offered in fulfillment of a vow or a pledge
ziggurat
a pyramid-like building made of several stories that indent as the building gets taller; thus ziggurats have terraces at each level
amarna style
art created during the reign of Akhenaton, which features a more relaxed figure style than in Old and New Kingdom art
ankh
an Egyptian symbol of life
axial plan
a building with an elongated ground plan
clerestory
a roof that rises above lower roof and thus has window space beneath
engaged column
a column that is not freestanding but attached to a wall
ground line
a base line upon which figures stand
hieroglyphics
Egyptian writing using symbols or pictures as characters
hypostyle
a hall in an Egyptian temple that has a roof supported by a dense thicket of columns
in situ
a Latin expression that means that something is in its original location
ka
the soul, or spiritual essence, of a human being that either ascends to heaven or can live in an egyptian statue of itself
mastaba
Arabic for "bench," a low, flat-roofed Egyptian tomb with sides sloping down to the ground
necropolis
literally, a "city of the dead," a large burial area
papyrus
a tall aquatic plant (reed) whose fiber is used as a writing surface in ancient Egypt
peristyle
a colonnade surrounding a building or enclosing a courtyard
pharaoh
a king of ancient Egypt
pylon
a monumental gateway to an Egyptian temple marked by two flat, sloping walls between which is a smaller entrance
reserve column
a column that is cut away from rock but has no support function
sarcophagus
a stone coffin
sunken relief
a carving in which the outlines of figures are deeply carved into a surface so no figures seem to project forward
bouleuterion
a chamber used by a council of citizens at the agora
tholos
a round temple, there is one at the agora
stoa
covered walkway with columns on one side and a wall on the other
amphiprostyle
having four columns in the front and four in the back
pynx
hill and field used for voting at the acropolis
panathenaea
games held at the agora
kylix
drinking cup with wide mouth and shallow dimensions, ideal for the display of scenes on the relatively flat bottom
black figure
-archaic period
-large figures drawn in black on the red natural surface of the clay
-details added after firing in the kiln with highlighting colors
-positive image
red figure
-end of archaic period introduced by Andokides
-red figure and black background
-negative image
-black background painted leaving red figure
-allows greater detail
acropolis
literally, a "high city"; a Greek temple complex built on a hill over a city
agora
a public plaza in a Greek city where commercial, religious, and societal activities are conducted
amphora
a two handled ancient Greek storage jar
architrave
a plain, unornamented lintel on the entablature
athena
Greek goddess of war and wisdom, patron of Athens
canon
a body of laws or rules; in Greek art, the ideal proportion of a figure
caryatid (male atlantid)
building column that is shaped like a female figure
contrapposto
a graceful arrangement of the body based on tilted shoulders and hips and bent knees
corinthian
an order of ancient Greek architecture similar to the ionic, except that the capitals are carved in tiers of leaves
cornice
a projecting ledge over a wall
doric
an order of ancient Greek architecture that features grooved columns and no grooved bases and an upper story with square sculpture called metopes
entablature
the upper story of a Greek temple
frieze
a horizontal band of sculpture
gigantomachy
a mythical ancient Greek war between the giants and the Olympian gods
ionic
an order of Greek architecture that features columns with scrolled capitals and an upper story with sculptures that are in friezes
isocephalism
the tradition of depicting heads of figures on the same level
kiln
an oven used for making pottery
kouros
male; an archaic Greek sculpture of a standing youth
kore
female; an archaic Greek sculpture of a standing youth
krater
a large ancient Greek bowl used for mixing water and wine
metope
a small relief sculpture on a facade of a Greek temple
mosaic
a decoration using pieces of stone, marble, or colored glass, called tesserae, that are cemented on a wall or floor
tesserae
pieces of stone, marble, or colored glass that are cemented on a wall or floor to make a mosaic
nike
the ancient Greek goddess of victory
Niobe
the model of a grieving mother; after boasting about her 12 children, jealous gods killed them
panathenaic way
a ceremonial road for a procession built to honor Athena during a festival
pediment
the triangular top of a temple that contains sculpture
peplos
a garment worn by women in ancient Greece, usually full length and tied at the waist
portico
an entranceway to a building having columns and supporting a roof
propylaeum
a gateway leading into a Greek temple
shaft
the body of a column
trigylph
a projecting grooved element alternating with a metope on a Greek temple
geometric
type of Greek pottery that is characterized by linear designs and abstract patterns; early archaic and before
orientalizing
type of Greek pottery that came after geometric and showed influence of Egyptian and Mesopotamian art
stucco
a fine plaster used for wall decorations or moldings
terra-cotta
a hard ceramic clay used for building or for making pottery
triclinium
a dining table in Ancient Rome or Tuscany that has a couch on three sides for reclining at meals
Tufa
a porous rock similar to limestone
tumulus
an artificial mound of earth and stones placed over a grave
tuscan order
an order of ancient architecture featuring slender, smooth columns that sit on simple bases, no carvings on the frieze of in the capitals
first pompeian style
painted rectangular squares meant to resemble marble facing
second pompeian style
large mythological scenes and/or landscapes dominating the wall surface; painted stucco decoration of the first style appears beneath in horizontal bands
third pompeian style
characterized by small scenes set in a field of color and framed by delicate columns of tracery
fourth pompeian style
combine elements of the previous three; painted marble of the first style at the base, larger scenes of second style and delicate small scenes of third style are intricately interwoven
ashlar masonry
carefully cut and grooved stones that support a building without the use of concrete or other kinds of masonry
atrium
a courtyard in a Roman house or before a Christian church
basilica
in Roman architecture, a large axially planned building with a nave, side aisles, and apses
bust
a sculpture depicting a head, neck, and upper chest of a figure
coffer
in architecture, a sunken panel in a ceiling
composite column
one that contains a combination of volutes from the Ionic order and acanthus leaves from the Corinthian order
continuous narrative
a work of art that contains several scenes from the same story painted or sculpted in a single frame
cubiculum
a Roman bedroom flanking an atrium; in Early Christian art, a mortuary chapel in a catacomb
cupola
a small dome rising over a roof of a building, in architecture a __ is achieved by rotating an arch on its axis
encaustic
an ancient method of painting that uses colored waxes burned into a wooden surface
foreshortening
a visual effect in which an object is shortened and turned deeper into the picture plane to give the effect of receding into space
forum
a public square or market place in a Roman city
fresco
a painting technique that involves applying water-based paint into a freshly plastered wall; the paint forms a bond with the plaster that is durable and long-lasting
impluvium
a rectangular basin in a Roman house that is placed in the open-air atrium in order to collect rainwater
keystone
the center stone of an arch that holds the others in place
oculus
a circular window in a church, or round opening at the top of a dome
perspective
depth and recession in a painting or a relief sculpture.
linear perspective: 3d in a 2d world
orthogonals
lines that draw the viewer back in space to a common point called the vanishing point (paintings may have more than one vanishing point, with __ leading the eye to several parts of the work)
atmospheric, aerial perspective
landscapes that give the illusion of distance
pier
a vertical support that holds up a arch or a vault
spandrel
a triangular space enclosed by the curves of the arches
Tuscan order
an order of carvings featuring slender, smooth columns that sit on simple bases, no carvings on the frieze or in the capitals
vault
a roof constructed with arches
barrel vault
when an arch is extended in space forming a tunnel
groin vault
when two barrel faults intersect at right angles
veristic
sculptures from the Roman republic characterized by extreme realism of the facial features
ambulatory
a passageway around the apse or altar of a church
apse
the endpoint of a church where the altar is located
catacomb
an underground passageway used for burial
central plan
a church having a circular plan with the altar in the middle
cubicula
small underground rooms in catacombs serving as mortuary chapels
Gospels
the first four books of the New Testament that chronicle the life of Jesus
loculi
openings in the walls of catacombs to receive the dead
lunette
a crescent-shaped space, sometimes over a doorway, that contains a sculpture or painting
narthex
the closest part of the atrium to the basilica; serves as a vestibule, or lobby, of a church
nave
the main aisle of the church
orant figure
a figure with its hands raised in prayer
spolia
in art history, the reuse of architectural or sculptural pieces in buildings generally different from their original contexts
transept
an aisle in a church perpendicular to the nave, where the clergy originally stood
action painting
an abstract painting in which the artist drips and splatters paint onto a surface like a canvas in order to create his or her work
assemblage
a 3D work made of various materials such as wood, cloth, paper, and misc objects
earthwork
a large outdoor work in which the earth itself is the medium
installation
a large temporary work of art made up of assemblages created for a specific space, like an art gallery or museum
kitsch
something of low quality that appeals to popular taste
Abbey
A monastery for monks, or a convent for nuns, and the church that is connected to it 11.4
Abstract
works of art that may have form, but have little or no attempt at pictorial representation (unrealistic representation) 22.14
Adobe
a building material made from earth, straw, or clay dried in the sun 27.2
Anamorphic IMage
an image that must be viewed by a special means, such as a mirror, in order to be recognized
Andachtsbild
an image used for private contemplation and devotion (Rottgen Pieta 12.7)
Annunciation
In christianity, an episode in the Book of Luke 1:26-38 in which Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she would be the Virgin mother of jesus 14.1
Apocalypse
last book of the Christian bible, sometimes called revelations, which details gods destruction of evil and consequent rising to heaven of the righteous 12.9a
Apotheosis
a type of painting in which the figures are rising heavenward
Cloissonn�
enamelwork in which colored areas are separated by thin bands of metal, usually gold or bronze
Maniera Greca
italian for greek manner, a style of painting based on byzantine models that was popular in italy in 12th-13th centuries
Di sotto in s�
("from the bottom up") a type of ceiling painting in which figures seem to be hovering above the viewers, often looking down at us (17.6)