Ap Art History Vocab! Flashcards

apadana

great audience hall in ancient Persian palaces

arch

curved structural member spanning an opening, generally composed of voussoir that transmit downward pressure laterally

arcuated

arch-shaped

arcade having no actual opening, used as decoration to wall surfaces

cella

chamber at center of ancient temple; room where cult statue stood in classical temples

conceptual representation

representation of fundamental distinguishing properties of a person or object, not the way it appears in space at a specific moment

cuneiform

Latin: wedge-shaped; system of writing used in ancient Mesopotamia; characters produced by pressing stylus into soft clay tablet, then hardened

cylindrical piece of stone usually an inch or so in height, decorated with an incised design, so raised pattern left when seal rolled over soft clay; documents and important possessions signed, sealed or identified in this way in ancient Near East

foreshortening

use of perspective to represent apparent visual contraction of an object that extends back in space at an angle to the perpendicular sight, in art

frieze

part on entablature between architrave and cornice; any sculptured or painted band in a building

ground line

painted or carved baseline on which figures appear to stand, in paintings and reliefs

heraldic composition

composition symmetrical on either side of a central figure

hierarchy of scale

artistic convention relating greater size to greater importance

iwan

vaulted rectangular recess opening onto a courtyard in Islamic architecture

lamassu

Assyrian guardian in form of man-headed winged bull

pictograph

picture representing an idea, usually stylized; writing using such means; painting on rock

register

one of a series of superimposed bands or friezes in a pictorial narrative; particular levels on which motifs are placed

stamp seal

Earlier, flat form of cylinder seal used for similar purposes

stele

carved stone slab, used to mark graves or commemorate historical events

stylus

needle-like tool used in engraving and incising; ancient writing instrument used to inscribe clay or wax tablets

votive offering

gift of gratitude to a deity

ziggurat

monumental platform for a temple in ancient Mesopotamian architecture

voussoir

wedge-shaped blocks

Gilgamesh

legendary king of Uruk; slayer of monster Humarra; comparable to Homer epics

citadel

fortress commanding a city, fortified with walls

Sargon

great ruler of Akkad; name means "true king"'; first to benefit of full loyalty to kingship rather than city-state

Gudea of Lagash

ruler, portrayed through statuettes as pious and humble to gods; portraits made of diorite

Hammurabi

most powerful king of Babylon, famous for conquests and his law code

Achaemenids

Persians; founded by Cyrus and leading back to mythical King Achaemenes; led Babylon

Sasanians

descending of Sasan (direct descendent of Achaemenid kings); challenged Roman rule in Persia; ruled over 400 years starting in 224 AD

barrel vault

vault having the form of a very deep arch

capital

uppermost member of a column, serving as a transition from the shaft to the lintel

caryatid

female figure that functions as a supporting column

chamfer

surface formed by cutting off a corner of a board or post; bevel

clerestory

fenestrated part of a building that rises above the roofs of the other parts; oldest known EgyptianIn Roman basilicas and medieval churches: windows that form nave's uppermost level below the timber ceiling or the vaults

fenestrated

windowed

colonnade

series or row of columns, usually spanned by lintels

column

vertical, weight-carrying architectural member, circular in cross-section and consisting of a base (sometimes omitted), a shaft and a capital

course

in masonry construction, a horizontal row of stone blocks

demotic

late Egyptian writing

dressed masonry

stone blocks shaped to the exact dimensions required, with smooth faces for a perfect fit

engaged column

half-round column attached to a wall

facade

usually the front of a building, also the others sides when they are emphasized architecturally

fluting

vertical channeling, roughly circular in cross-section and used principally on columns and pilasters

fresco

painting on lime plaster either dry or wet; also a painting executed in either method

fresco secco

dry painting on lime fresco

hieroglyphic

system of writing using pictures or symbols

hypostyle hall

hall with a roof supported by columns

ka

in ancient Egypt, the immortal human life force

mastaba

Arabic "bench"; ancient Egyptian rectangular brick or stone structure with sloping sides erected over a subterranean tomb chamber connected with the outside by a shaft

molding

in architecture a continuous, narrow surface (projecting or recessed, plain or ornamented) designed to break up a surface, to accent, or to decorate

mummification

technique used by ancient Egyptians to preserve human bodies so that they may serve as the eternal home of the immortal ka

necropolis

Greek "city of the dead"; large burial area or cemetery

nemes

in ancient Egypt, linen headdress worn by the pharaoh, with the uraeus cobra of kingship on the front

palette

in ancient Egypt, a slate slab used for preparing makeup; colors or kinds of colors characteristically used by an artist; thin board with a thumb hole at one end on which an artist lays and mixes colors-- any surface so used

papyrus

plant native to Egypt and adjacent lands used to make paperlike writing material; the material or any writing on it

pharaoh

ancient Egyptian king

pillar

usually a weight-carrying member, such as a pier or column; sometimes an isolated, freestanding structure used for commemorative purposes

pylon

wide entrance gateway of an Egyptian temple, characterized by its sloping walls

scarab

Egyptian gem in shape of a beetle

serdab

small concealed chamber in an Egyptian mastaba for the statue of the deceased

sphinx

mythical Egyptian beast with body of a lion and head of a human

stucco

type of plaster used as a coating on exterior and interior walls

subtractive sculpture

kind of sculpture technique in which materials are taken away from the original mass; carving

sunken relief

in sculpture, figures projecting from a background of which they are part; artist cuts the design into the surface so that the highest projecting parts of the image are no higher than the surface itself

uraeus

Egyptian cobra; one of the emblems of pharaonic kingship

ushabt

in ancient Egypt, a figurine placed in a tomb to act as a servant to the deceased in the afterlife

valley temple

temple closest to the Nile River associated with each of the Great Pyramids at Gizeh in ancient Egypt

wedjat

the eye of the Egyptian falcon-god Horus, a powerful amulet

buon fresco

pigments mixed with water and become chemically bound to the freshly laid lime plaster; true fresco

chryselephantine

fashioned of gold and ivory

corbel

projecting wall member used as a support for some element in the superstructure; courses of stone or brick in which each course projects beyond the one beneath it

corbel arch

two corbel walls meeting at the topmost course; corbeled vault

Cyclopean masonry

method of stone construction, named after the mythical Cyclopes, using massive, irregular blocks without mortar, characteristic of the Bronze Age fortifications of Tiryns and other Mycenaean sites

Cyclops

mythical Greek one-eyed giant

dome

hemispherical vault; theoretically an arch rotated on its vertical axis; in Mycenaean architecture, beehive-shaped

dromos

passage leading to a tholos tomb

faience

low-fired opaque glasslike silicate

krater

ancient Greek wide-mouthed bowl for mixing wine and water

labyrinth

maze; English word derives from mazelike plan of the Minoan palace at Knossos

megaron

large reception hall and throne room in a Mycenaean palace, fronted by an open, two-columned porch

Minotaur

mythical beast, half man and half bull, that inhabited the Minoan palace at Knossos

niello

black metallic alloy

relieving triangle

in Mycenaean architecture the triangular opening above the lintel that serves to lighten the weight to be carried by the lintel itself

repoussÃ©

formed in relief by beating a metal plate from the back, leaving the impression of a face; metal sheet is hammered into a hollow mold of wood or some other pliable material and finished with a graver

tholos

temple with a circular plan; burial chamber of a tholos tomb

tholos tomb

in Mycenaean architecture, beehive-shaped tomb with a circular plan

abacus

uppermost portion of the capital of a column, usually a thin slab

acropolis

Greek "high city"; in ancient Greece, usually the site of the city's most important temple(s)

agora

an open square or space used for public meetings or business in ancient Greek cities

Amazonomachy

in Greek mythology, the battle between the Greeks and Amazons

amphiprostyle

classical temple plan in which the columns are placed across both the front and back, but not along the sides

amphora

ancient Greek two-handled jar used for general storage purposes, usually to hold wine or oil

antae

molded projecting ends of the walls forming the pronaos or opisthodomos of an ancient Greek temple

apse

recess, usually semicircular, in the wall of a Roman basilica or at the east end of a church

Archaic

artistic style of 800-480 BC in Greece, characterized in part by the use of the composite view for painted and relief figures and of Egyptian stances for statues

Archaic smile

smile that appears on all Archaic Greek statues from about 570 to 480 BC; sculptor's indication that the subject is still alive

architrave

lintel or lowest division of the entablature

base

in ancient Greek architecture, the molded projecting lowest part of Ionic and Corinthian columns

bilingual vases

experimental Greek vases produced for a short time in the late sixth century BC; one side featured black-figure decoration, the other red-figure

black-figure painting

in early Greek pottery, silhouetting of dark figures against a light background of natural, reddish clay, with linear details incised through the silhouettes

caduceus

in ancient Greek mythology, a magical rod entwined with serpents, the attribute of Hermes, the messenger of the Gods

canon

a rule, for example of proportion; Canon a fifth century BC treatise written by sculptor Polykleitos incorporating his formula for the perfectly proportioned statue

cavea

Latin "hollow place or cavity"; seating area in ancient Greek and Roman theatres and amphitheatres

centaur

in ancient Greek mythology, a creature with the front or top half of a human and the back or bottom half of a horse

centauromachy

in ancient Greek mythology, the battle between the Greeks and centaurs

chaplet

metal pin used in hollow-casting to connect the investment with the clay core

chiton

Greek tunic, the essential (and often only) garment of men and women, the other being the himation or mantle

cire perdue

bronze-casting method in which a figure is modeled in wax and covered with clay; the whole is fired, melting away the wax and hardening the clay, which then becomes a mold for molten metal

Classical

art and culture of ancient Greece between 480 and 323 BC

contrapposto

disposition of human figure in which one part is turned in opposition to another part (usually hips and legs one way, shoulders and chest another) creating a counterpositioning of the body about it's central axis; sometimes called "weight shift" because weight of the body tends to be thrown to one foot, creating tension on one side and relaxation on the other

Corinthian capital

most ornate form of capital; consists of a double row of acanthus leaves from which tendrils and flowers grow, wrapped around a bell-shaped echinus

cornice

projecting, crowning member of the entablature framing the pediment; any crowning projection

cult statue

statue of the deity that stood in the cella of an ancient temple

cuneus

in ancient Greek and Roman theatres and amphitheatres, wedge-shaped section of stone benches separated by stairs

Daedalic

Greek Orientalizing sculptural style of the seventh century BC named after the legendary Daedalus

demos

Greek "the people", from which the word democracy is derived

dipteral

In classical architecture, a double row of colonnades all around the cella and its porches

Doric

order invented in ancient Greece for articulating the three units of the elevation of a classical building (the platform, colonnade, entablature); characterized by capitals with funnel-shaped echinuses, columns without bases and a frieze of triglyphs and metopes

drum

one of the stacked cylindrical stones that form the shaft of a column; cylindrical wall that supports a dome

echinus

convex element of a capital directly below the abacus

emblema

central framed figural panel of a mosaic floor

encaustic

painting technique in which pigment is mixed with wax and applied to the surface while hot

entablature

part of building above columns and below roof; consists of architrave, frieze and pediment

entasis

convex profile (an apparent swelling) in the shaft of a column

Geometric

style of Greek art during ninth and eighth centuries BC, characterized by abstract geometric ornament and schematic figures

gigantomachy

in ancient Greek mythology, the battle between gods and giants

glaze

vitreous coating applied to pottery to seal and decorate surface; may be colored, transparent or opaque and glossy or matte; in oil painting a thin, transparent, or semitransparent layer put over a color to alter it slightly

gorgon

in ancient Greek mythology, a hideous female demon with snake hair; Medusa

Hellenes

name the ancient Greeks called themselves as the people of Hellas

Hellenistic

art and culture of the roughly three centuries between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Queen Cleopatra in 30 BC, when Egypt became a Roman province

herm

bust on a quadrangular pillar

himation

ancient Greek mantle worn by men and women over the chiton and draped in various ways

Hippodamian plan

city plan devised by Hippodamos of Miletos ca 466 BC, in which a strict grid was imposed on a site, regardless of the terrain, so that all streets would meet at right angles

hydria

an ancient Greek three-handled water pitcher

hypaethral

building having no pediment or roof, open to the sky

in antis

in ancient Greek architecture, between the antae

interaxial

distance between the center of the lowest drum of a column and the center of the next

investment

in hollow-casting, final clay mold applied to the exterior of the wax model

Ionic

One of two orders invented in ancient Greece for articulating the three units of the elevation of a classical building: the platform, the colonnade, and the superstructure (entablature); characterized by volutes, capitals, columns with bases and an uninterrupted frieze

kore

Greek "young woman"; an Archaic Greek statue of a young woman

kouros

Greek "young man"; an Archaic Greek statue of a young man

lekythos

flask containing perfumed oil; often placed in Greek graves as offerings to the deceased

lost-wax process

A bronze-casting method in which a figure is modeled in wax and covered with clay; the whole is fired, melting away the wax (French, cire perdue) and hardening the clay, which then becomes a mold for molten metal.

meander

ornament, usually in bands but also covering broad surfaces, consisting of interlocking geometric motifs; ornamental pattern of contiguous straight lines joined usually at right angles

metope

panel between the triglyphs in a Doric frieze, often sculpted in relief

minaret

tower of a mosque, from which the Islamic faithful are called to worship

monolith

column shaft that is all in one piece (not composed of drums); large, single block or piece of sone used in megalithic structures

mosaic

patterns or pictures made by embedding tesserae of stone or glass in cement on surfaces such as walls or floors; technique of making such works

naos

chamber at the center of an ancient temple; in a classical temple the room in which the cult statue usually stood

nymphs

in classical mythology, female divinities of springs, caves and woods

orchestra

Greek "dancing place"; in ancient Greek theatres the circular piece of earth with a hard and level suface on which the performance took place

order

in classical architecture, a style represented by a characteristic design of the columns and entablature

opisthodomos

in ancient Greek architecture, a porch at the rear of a temple, set against the blank back wall of the cella

Orientalizing

early phase of Archaic Greek art (seventh century BC) so named because of the adoption of forms and motifs from the ancient Near East and Egypt

orthogonal plan

imposition of a strict grid plan on a site, regardless of the terrain, so that all streets meet at a right angle

palaestra

ancient Greek and Roman exercise area, usually framed by a colonnade; in Greece an independent building; in Rome, frequently incorporated into a bathing complex

parapet

low, protective wall along the edge of a balcony, roof, or bastion

pebble mosaic

mosaic made of irregularly shaped stones of various colors

pediment

in classical architecture, the triangular space (gable) at the end of the building, formed by the ends of the sloping roof above the colonnade; an ornamental feature having this shape

peplos

simple long woolen belted garment worn by ancient Greek women

peripteral

in classical architecture, a colonnade of a single row all around the cella and it's porches

peristyle

in classical architecture, a colonnade all around the cella and its porch(es)

pinakotheke

Greek "picture gallery"; ancient building for the display of paintings on wood panels

polis

independent city-state in ancient Greece

portico

roofed colonnade, also an entrance porch

pronaos

space or porch in front of the cella or naos of an ancient Greek temple

post and lintel system

system of construction in which two posts support a lintel

raking cornice

cornice on the sloping sides of a pediment

prostyle

classical temple plan in which the columns are only in front of the cella and not on the sides or back

red-figure painting

in later Greek pottery, silhouetting of red figures against a black background, with painted linear details

ridgepole

beam running the length of a building below the peak of the gabled roof

satyr

in ancient Greek mythology, creature that was part man and part goat, usually with a man's head and body, and a goat's ears, horns and legs

shaft

tall, cylindrical part of a column between the capital and base

siren

In ancient Greek mythology, creature that was part bird and part woman

skene

Greek "stage"; stage of a classical theatre

skiagraphia

Greek "shadow painting"; Greek term for shading, said to have been invented by Apollodoros, an Athenian painter of the fifth century BC

slip

mixture of fine clay and water used in ceramic decoration

stoa

In ancient Greek architecture, an open building with a roof supported by a row of columns parallel to the back wall; a covered colonnade or portico

stylobate

uppermost course of the platform of a classical temple, which supports the column

symmetria

Greek "commensurability of parts"; Polykleito's treatise on his canon of proportions incorporated this principle

symposium

an ancient Greek banquet attended solely by men (and female servants and prostitutes)

tessera

Greek "cube"; tiny stone or piece of glass cut to the desired shape and size for use in forming a mosaic

theatron

Greek "place for seeing"; in ancient Greek theatres, the slope overlooking the orchestra on which the spectators sat

treasury

In ancient Greece, a small building set up for the safe storage of votive offerings

trident

three-pronged pitchfork associated with the ancient Greek sea god Poseidon (Roman, Neptune)

triglyph

triple projecting, grooved member of a Doric frieze that alternates with metopes

tripod

ancient Greek deep bowl on a tall three-legged stand

volute

spiral, scroll-like form characteristic of the ancient Greek Ionic and the Roman Composite capital

white-ground painting

ancient Greek vase-painting technique in which pot was first covered with a slip of very fine white clay, over which black glaze was used to outline figures, and diluted brown, purple, red and white were used to color them

horror vacui

filling of all space in visual art

amalaka

in Hindu temple design, large flat disk with ribbed edges surmounting beehive-shaped tower

abhaya

right hand up, palm outward; gesture of protection or blessing; do not fear mudra

ambulatory

covered walkway, outdoors or indoors; especially passageway around the apse and the choir of a church; in Buddhist architecture, passageway leading around the stupa in a chaitya hall

apsidal

rounded; apse-shaped

asceticism

self-discipline and self-denial

avatar

manifestation of a deity incarnated in some visible form in which the deity performs a sacred function on earth; in Hinduism, an incarnation of a god

baray

one of the large reservoirs laid out around Cambodian wats that served as means of transportation as well as irrigation; network of canals connected reservoirs

bhumisparsha

right hand reaches down to ground, calling the earth to witness Buddha's enlightenment; earth-touching mudra

bodhisattva

in Buddhist thought, one of the host of divinities provided to the Buddha to help him save humanity; a potential Buddha

boss

circular knob

chaitya hall

South Asian rock-cut temple hall having a votive stupa at one end

chakra

Buddha's wheel, set in motion at Sarnath

chatra

yasti

circumambulation

in Buddhist worship, walking around the stupa in a clockwise direction

darshan

in Hindu worship, seeing images of the divinity and being seen by the divinity

dharma

in Buddhism, moral law based on the Buddha's teaching

dharmachakra

two-handed gesture with right thumb and index finger forming a circle; Wheel of the Law or teaching mudra

dhyana

right hand over left, palms upward, in the lap; meditation mudra

garbha griha

Hindi "womb chamber"; In Hindu temples the cella for the cult image or symbol

harmika

in Buddhist architecture, a stone fence or railing that encloses an area surmounting the dome of a stupa that represents one of the Buddhist heavens; from the center arises the yasti

jataka

tales of the past lives of the Buddha

karma

in Vedic regions, ethical consequences of a person's life, which determine his or her fate

lakshana

one of the distinguishing marks of the Buddha; include urna and ushnisha

linga

in Hindu art, depiction of Shiva as a phallus or cosmic pillar

mandala

sacred diagram of the universe

mandapa

pillared hall of a Hindu temple

mithuna

in South Asian art, a male-female couple embracing or engaged in sexual intercourse

moksha

nirvana

mudra

in Buddhist and Hindu iconography, stylized and symbolic hand gesture

nimbus

halo or aureole appearing around the head of a holy figure to signify divinity

nirvana

in Buddhism and Hinduism, blissful state brought about by absorption of the individual soul or consciousness into the supreme state

parinirvana

image of the reclining Buddha, often viewed as representing his death

prasada

in Hindu worship, food that becomes sacred by first being given to a god

ratha

small, freestanding Hindu temple carved from a huge boulder

reliquary

container for keeping relics

samsara

in Hindu belief, rebirth of the soul into a succession of lives

shakti

in Hinduism, female power of the deity Devi (or Goddess,) which animates the matter of the cosmos

shikara

beehive-shaped tower of a northern style Hindu temple

stupa

large, mound-shaped Buddhist shrine

torana

gateway in the stone fence around a stupa, located at the cardinal points of the compass

trefoil

cloverlike ornament or symbol with stylized leaves in groups of three

Upanishads

South Asian religious texts of ca. 800-500 BC in which the concepts of samsara, karma, and moksha were introduced

urna

whorl of hair, represented as a dot, between the brows; one of the lakshanas of the Buddha

ushnisha

knot of hair on the top of the head; one of the lakshanas of the Buddha

Veda

Sanskrit, "knowledge"; one of four second-millennium BC South Asian compilations of religious learning

vihara

Buddhist monastery, often cut into a hill

vimana

pyramidal tower over the garbha griha of a southern style Hindu temple

wat

Buddhist monastery in Cambodia

yaksha

lesser local female Buddhist and Hindu divinity; goddesses associated with fertility and vegetation

yakshi

lesser local male Buddhist and Hindu divinity; fleshy but powerful god

Charun

an Etruscan death demon

chimera

monster of Greek invention with the head and body of a lion and the tail of a serpent; a second head of a goat grows out of one side of the body

cista

Etruscan cylindrical container made of sheet bronze with cast handles and feet, often with elaborately engraved bodies, used for women's toilet articles

fibula

decorative pin, usually used to fasten garments

granulation

decorative technique in which tiny metal balls (granules) are fused to a metal surface

pectoral

ornament worn on the chest

pilaster

flat, rectangular, vertical member projecting from a wall of which it forms a part; usually has a base and a capital and is often fluted

tumulus

burial mound; in Etruscan architecture cover one or more subterranean multichambered tombs cot out of the local tufa; characteristic of Neolithic funerary architecture and Japanese Kofun period of the third and fourth centuries

tufa

limestone

Tuscan

standard type of Etruscan column; resembles ancient Greek Doric columns, but is made of wood, unfluted, and has a base

aisle

portion of a basilica flanking the nave and separated from it by a row of columns or piers

ala

rectangular recess at back of atrium of a Roman house

amphitheatre

Greek "double theatre"; Roman building type resembling two Greek theatres put together; featured continuous elliptical cavea around a central arena

apotheosis

elevated to the rank of gods; ascent to heaven

arena

in a Roman amphitheatre, central area where bloody gladiatorial combats and other boisterous events took place

atmospheric perspective

method of presenting the illusion of a three-dimensional world on a two-dimensional surface; greater diminution of color intensity; blurring of contours as intended distance between eye and object increases

atrium

central reception room of a Roman house that is partly open to the sky; open colonnaded court in front of and attached to a Christian basilica

attic

uppermost story of a building, triumphal arch or city gate

basilica

in Roman architecture, a civic building for legal and other civic proceedings, rectangular in plan with an entrance usually on a long side; in Christian architecture, a church usually entered from one end with an apse at the other

buttress

exterior masonry structure that opposes the lateral thrust of an arch or a vault

caldarium

hot-bath section of a Roman bathing establishment

Capitolium

ancient Roman temple dedicated to the gods Jupiter, Juno and Minerva

cardo

north-south street in a Roman town, intersecting the decumanus at right angles

castrum

Roman military encampment

cestrum

small spatula used in encaustic painting

Christogram

three initial letters (chi-rho-iota) of Christ's name in Greek, which came to serve as a monogram for Christ

coffer

sunken panel, often ornamental, in a vault or ceiling

colonnette

thin column

Composite capital

capital combining Ionic volutes and Corinthian acanthus leaves, first used by the ancient Romans

concrete

building material invented by the Romans and consisting of various proportions of lime mortar, volcanic sand, water, and small stones

cross vault

masonry roof or ceiling constructed on the arch principle; formed at the point at which two barrel vaults intersect at right angles; groin vault

cubiculum

small cubicle or bedroom that opened onto the atrium of a Roman house; also a chamber in an Early Christian catacomb that served as a mortuary temple

cuirass

military leather breastplate

damnatio memoriae

Roman decree condemning those who ran afoul of the Senate

decumanus

east-west street in a Roman town, intersecting the cardo at right angles

decursio

ritual circling of a Roman funerary pyre

denarius

standard Roman silver coin from which the word penny ultimately derives

domus

Roman private house

exedra

recessed area, usually semicircular

fauce

Latin "jaw"; in a Roman house, narrow foyer leading to the atrium

fenestration

arrangement of windows of a building

First Style mural

earliest style of Roman mural painting; also called the Masonry style because the aim of the artist was to imitate, using painted stucco relief, the appearance of costly marble panels

forum

public square of an ancient Roman city

Fourth Style mural

in Roman mural painting, marks a return to architectural illusionism, but the architectural vistas are irrational fantasies

freedmen/women

in ancient and medieval society, men and women who had been freed from servitude, as opposed to having been born free

frigidarium

cold-bath section of a Roman bathing establishment

gladiator

ancient Roman professional fighter, usually a slave, who competed in the amphitheatre

groin

edge formed by the intersection of two vaults

groin vault

masonry ceiling or roof constructed on the arch principle; formed at the point at which two barrel vaults intersect at right angles; cross vault

imagines

in ancient Rome, wax portraits of ancestors

imperator

Latin, "commander in chief" from which the word emperor derives

impluvium

in a Roman house, basin located in atrium that collected water

incrustation

wall decoration consisting of bright panels of different colors

insula

in Roman architecture, a multistory apartment house, usually made of brick-faced concrete; also refers to an entire city block

kline

couch or funerary bed; type of sarcophagus with a reclining portrait of the deceased on its lid

linear perspective

method of presenting an illusion of the three-dimensional world on a two-dimensional surface; all parallel lines or surface edges converge on one, two or three vanishing points located with reference to the eye level of the viewer (the horizon line of the picture), and associated objects are rendered smaller the farther from the viewer they are intended to seem

Masonry style

earliest style of Roman mural painting; aim of the artist was to imitate, using painted stucco relief, costly marble panels

mausoleum

monumental tomb; name derives from the mid-fourth century BC tomb of Mausolos at Halikarnassos, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world

menorah

in antiquity, Jewish sacred seven-branched candelabrum

monochromatic

one color

natatio

swimming pool in a Roman bathing establishment

nave

central area of an ancient Roman basilica or of a church, demarcated from aisles by piers or columns

oculus

Latin "eye"; round central opening of a dome; also a small round window in a Gothic cathedral

patrician

Roman freeborn landowner

perspective

method of presenting the illusion of the three-dimensional world on a two-dimensional surface

pier

vertical, freestanding masonry support

plebeian

Roman social class that included small farmers, merchants and freed slaves

pontifex maximus

often the emperor himself

pseudoperipteral

in Roman architecture, a temple with a series of engaged columns all around the sides and back of the cella to give the appearance of a peripteral colonnade

revetment

in architecture, a wall covering or facing

roundel

circular painting or relief sculpture

rusticate

to give a rustic appearance by roughening the surfaces and beveling the edges of stone blocks to emphasize the joints between them; technique employed in ancient Roman architecture, and was also popular during the Renaissance, especially for stone courses at the ground-floor level

Second Style mural

style of Roman mural painting in which the aim was to dissolve the confining walls of a room and replace them with the illusion of a three-dimensional world constructed in the artist's imagination

senate

Latin "council of elders"; legislative body in Roman constitutional government

skenographia

Greek "scene painting" or perspective painting

spandrel

roughly triangular space enclosed by the curves of adjacent arches and a horizontal member connecting their vertexes; the space enclosed by the curve of an arch and an enclosing right angle; area between the arch proper and the framing columns and entablature

still life

picture depicting an arrangement of objects

taberna

in Roman architecture, single-room shop usually covered by a barrel vault

tablinum

study or office in Roman house

tempera

technique of painting using pigment mixed with egg yolk, glue or casein; also the medium itself

tepidarium

warm-bath section of a Roman bathing establishment

tetrarch

one of four co-rulers

tetrarchy

Greek "rule by four"; type of Roman government established in the late third century AD by Diocletian in an attempt to establish order by sharing power with potential rivals

Third Style mural

in Roman mural painting, the style in which delicate linear fantasies were sketched on predominantly monochromatic backgrounds

thrust

outward force exerted by an arch or a vault that must be counterbalanced by a buttress

tondo

circular painting or relief sculpture

triclinium

dining room of a Roman house

triumphal arch

in Roman architecture, a freestanding arch commemorating an important event, such as a military victory or the opening of a new road

tunnel vault

masonry roof or ceiling constructed on the arch principle; semicylindrical in cross-section, in effect a deep arch or an uninterrupted series of arches, one behind the other, over an oblong space; barrel vault

vault

masonry roof or ceiling constructed on the arch principle

velarium

in a Roman amphitheatre, cloth awning that could be rolled down from the top of the cavea to shield spectators from sun or rain

venationes

ancient Roman wild animal hunts staged in amphitheatres

veristic

true to natural appearance; super realistic

apostle

Greek "messenger"

arcade

series of arches supported by piers or columns

baldacchino

canopy on columns, frequently built over an altar

baptistery

in Christian architecture, building used for baptism, usually situated next to a church

catacombs

subterranean networks of rock-cut galleries and chambers designed as cemeteries for the burial of the dead

central plan

horizontal arrangement of the parts of a building or of the buildings and streets of a city or town, or a drawing or diagram showing such an arrangement; parts of the structure are of equal or almost equal dimensions around the center

chancel arch

arch separating the chancel or the transept from the nave of a church

codex

separate pages of vellum or parchment bound together at one side; predecessor of the modern book; superseded the rotulus; in Mesoamerica a painted and inscribed long book on long sheets of bark paper or deerskin coated with fine white pilaster and folded into accordion-like pleats

confraternity

in late antiquity, an association of Christian families pooling funds to purchase property for burial; in late medieval Europe, an organization founded by laypersons who dedicated themselves to strict religious obesrvances

crossing

space in a cruciform church formed by the intersection of the nave and the transept

crossing tower

tower of the crossing of a church

cruciform

cross shaped

diptych

two-paneled painting or altarpiece; also an ancient Roman, Early Christian or Byzantine hinged writing tablet, often of ivory and carved on the external sides

Eucharist

in Christianity the partaking of the bread and wine which believers hold to be either Christ himself or symbolic of him

folio

page of a manuscript or book

illuminated manuscript

decorations

illumination

decoration (usually in gold, silver and bright colors) especially of medieval manuscript pages

liturgy

official ritual of public worship

loculi

openings in the walls of catacombs to receive the dead

lunette

semicircular area (with the flat side down) in a wall over a door, niche or window; also a painting or relief with a semicircular frame

magi

three wise men from the East who presented gifts to the infant Jesus

martyr

person who chooses to die rather than deny his or her religious beliefs

Mass

Catholic and Orthodox ritual in which believers understand that Christ's redeeming sacrifice on the cross is repeated when the priest consecrates the bread and wine in the Eucharist

Messiah

savior of the Jews prophesied in the Old Testament

narthex

porch or vestibule of a church, generally colonnade or arcaded and preceding the nave

orant

in Early Christian art, a figure with both arms raised in the ancient gesture of prayer

parchment

lambskin prepared as a surface for painting or writing

Pentateuch

first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures

PietÃ

painted or sculpted representation of the Virgin Mary mourning over the body of the dead Christ

plan

horizontal arrangement of the parts of a building or of the buildings and streets of a city or town, or a drawing or diagram showing such an arrangement

prefiguration

in Early Christian art, depiction of Old Testament persons and events as prophetic forerunners of Christ and New Testament events

relics

body parts, clothing, or objects associated with a holy figure, such as the Buddha or Christ or a Christian saint

rotulus

manuscript scroll used by Egyptians, Greeks, Etruscans and Romans; predecessor of the codex

saint

from Latin word sanctus meaning "made holy by God"; person who suffered and died for their Christian faith or who merited reverence for their Christian devotion while alive; in the Roman Catholic Church, a worthy deceased Catholic who is canonized by the pope

Theotokos

Greek "bearer of God"; Virgin Mary

Torah

Hebrew scroll containing the Pentateuch

transept

part of a church with an axis that crosses the nave at a right angle

typology

in Christian theology, recognition of concordances between events, especially between episodes in the New and Old Testaments

vellum

calfskin prepared as a surface for writing or painting

chancel

arch or choir of a church

choir

space reserved for the clergy and singers in the church

cloissonnÃ©

process of enameling employing cloisons

Greek cross

cross with four arms of equal length

icon

portrait or image regarded as an object of veneration

iconoclasm

destruction of images

iconoclast

destroyer of images

iconophile

person who opposed iconoclasm

iconostasis

screen or partition with doors and many tiers of icons, separating the sanctuary from the main body of the church

mandorla

almond-shaped nimbus surrounding the figure of Christ or other sacred figure

martyrium

martyr's shrine

monastery

group of buildings in which monks live together, set apart from the secular community of a town

monastic

relating to life in a monastery

muqarna

stucco decoration of Islamic buildings in which stalactite-like forms break a structure's solidity

oratory

church of a Christian monastery

Pantokrator

Greek "ruler of all"; Christ as ruler and judge of heaven and earth

parekklesion

side chapel in a Byzantine church

paten

large shallow bowl or plate for the bread used in Eucharist

pendentive

concave, triangular section of a hemisphere, four of which provide the transition from a square area to the circular base of a covering dome; support the dome

refectory

dining hall of a Christian monastery

solidus

Byzantine gold coin

squinch

architectural device used as a transition from a square to a polygonal or circular base for a dome

templon

columnar screen separating the sanctuary from the main body of a Byzantine church

triptych

three-paneled painting, ivory plaque or altarpiece; small, portable shrine with hinged wings used for private devotion

caliph

Islamic ruler, regarded as a successor of Muhammad

calligraphy

Greek "beautiful writing"; handwriting or penmanship, especially elegant writing as a decorative art

congregational mosque

city's main mosque, designed to accommodate a community's entire Muslim population for the Friday noon prayer

Friday mosque

congregational mosque

great mosque

congregational mosque

cuerda seca

type of polychrome tilework used in decorating Islamic buildings

enamel

decorative coating, usually colored, fused onto the surface of metal, glass or ceramics

finial

crowning ornament

Hijra

flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622, the year from which Islam dates its beginnings

imam

in Islam, the leader of collective worship

iwan

in Islamic architecture, a vaulted rectangular recess opening onto a courtyard

Kaaba

Arabic "cube"; small cubical building in Mecca, Islamic world's symbolic center

Koran

Islam sacred book, composed of surahs divided into verses

Kufic

early form of Arabic script, characterized by angularity, with the uprights forming almost right angles with the baseline

madrasa

Islamic theological college adjoining and often containing a mosque

maqsura

in some mosques, a screened area in front of the mihrab reserved for a ruler

mihrab

semicircular niche set into the qibla wall of a mosque

minbar

in a mosque, the pulpit on which the imam stands

mosaic tilework

Islamic decorative technique in which large ceramic panels are fired, cut into smaller pieces, and set in plaster

mosque

Islamic building for collective worship; from Arabic word masjid meaning "place for bowing down"

Muhaqqaq

cursive style of Islamic calligraphy

qibla

direction (toward Mecca) Muslims face when praying

sultan

Muslim ruler

Sunnah

collection of the Prophet Muhammad's moral sayings and descriptions of his deeds

surah

chapter of the Koran, divided into verses

bhakti

in Buddhist thought, the adoration of a personalized deity as a means of achieving unity with it; love felt by the devotee for the deity; in Hinduism the devout, selfless direction of all tasks and activities of life to the service of one god

chakravartin

in India, the ideal king, the Universal Lord who ruled through goodness

gopuras

massive, ornamented entrance gateway towers of South Indian temple compounds

miniature

small individual Indian painting intended to be held in the hand and viewed by one or two individuals at one time

Mughal

descended from the Mongols

Muslim

believer in Islam

pagoda

East Asian tower, usually associated with a Buddhist temple, having a multiplicity of winged eaves

pouncing

method of transferring a sketch onto paper or a wall by tracing, using thin paper or transparent gazelle skin placed on top of the sketch, pricking the contours of the design with a pin, placing the skin or paper on the surface to be painted, and forcing black pigment through the holes

Ap Art History Vocab! Flashcards ionicons-v5-c

Ap Art History Vocab! Flashcards