GLOSSARY

Terms You Might Use in the Galleries

Sources for the following terms: Art Through the Ages (Harcourt, 12th ed.), From Abacus to Zeus (Pearson-Prentice Hall, 7th ed.), and Dictionary of Art Terms (Thames and Hudson, 2nd ed.)

abacus (abʹ a·kus) In architecture, a block-shaped member of a column capital. In arithmetic, a board with lines and spaces used to count abstract In painting and sculpture, that which is non-representational; natural forms are given designs that have little visual reference to any object or form depicted acanthus (uh·kanʹ thus) A prickly plant of the Mediterranean region with large, deeply cleft, and scalloped leaves; used as decorations on capitals, moldings, friezes, etc. acrylic A painting medium which dries quickly, creates a water-resistant surface, and is non- fading and non-yellowing. Additives are used to create various effects. action painting A painting method in which the artist uses a brush, putty knife, stick, tube, or can to apply (brush, squeeze, drip, throw) paint on to a surface. Sometimes called “gestural painting” aesthetics Pertaining to the beautiful and to the associations of character, creation, perception, and evaluation of art alabastron (al·uh·basʹ tron; pl. alabastra, al·uh·basʹ tra) A small pear-shaped bottle of glass or pottery with a narrow neck and flaring mouth used to hold perfumes and oils altarpiece A painted or sculptured panel or shrine placed behind and above an altar amphora (amʹ fo·ra; pl. amphorae, amʹ fo·ri) An egg-shaped, two-handled pottery jar used for storage, mainly of liquids; sometimes without a foot ampulla (am·pulʹ la; pl. ampullae, am·pulʹ li) A miniature amphora of glass or pottery used for holding water or oil amulet (amʹ u·let) A good-luck charm to protect the wearer from evil or harm ankh (ank) A hieroglyph signifying life. In Egypt, a cross with a ring at the top anthropomorphism (an·thro·po·morʹ phism) Attribution of human characteristics to nonhumans: e.g., a human form, human characteristics, or human behavior given to nonhuman things, such as mythological figures and animals annealing (an·neelʹ ing) The process of heating metal or glass to red hot and then cooling it slowly to make the material less brittle and more workable archaeologist A person who excavates and analyzes the artifacts and other remains of historic and prehistoric peoples Archaic art The artistic style of 600–480 BCE in Greece, characterized in part by the use of the composite view for painted and relief figures and of Egyptian stances for statues aryballos (ar·u·balʹ us; pl. aryballoi, ar·u·balʹ loy) A round, narrow-necked vessel for oil or perfume artifact Something produced by human work; in archaeology, a simple form of art asymmetry Not of identical elements on both sides of an axis, but not necessarily unbalanced atrium The open court of a Roman house; the open court in front of a church attribute (atʹ tri·bute) A quality, characteristic, mark, or object associated with a person or deity avant-garde (ah·vahnt·gardʹ; Fr. belonging to the vanguard) The leaders (artists, patrons, critics, etc.) whose work and taste are in the latest stylistic direction axis The imaginary line(s) around which a figure, building, picture, or parts of a picture are arranged 2

balance The equilibrium among the parts of a composition; to be of equal weight, value, force, etc., on both sides of an axis; not necessarily made up of identical elements basilica (ba·silʹ i·ka) A large public hall first used by Romans, then by Christians as a church black-figure technique A style of pottery painting in which the decoration appears in black on a red ground (The black color in both the black-figure and the red-figure techniques occurs during the firing process.) block statue In ancient Egyptian sculpture, a cubic stone image with simplified body parts Book of Hours A Christian book for private devotions containing prayers for the canonical hours of the day, often elaborately illustrated bronze An alloy of copper and usually tin; is a hard metal and sonorous but easy to cast bust A sculpture showing only the upper part of the body, including a portion of the shoulders and chest buttress An exterior structure built against a wall to strengthen it Byzantine The art, territory, history, and culture of the Eastern Christian Empire and its capitol of Constantinople (ancient Byzantium)

caduceus (ca·dueʹ cee·us) The winged staff with two snakes twined around the shaft that is carried by the god Hermes and used as an attribute of the god of medicine, Asclepius calligraphy The art of ornamental penmanship, in the West using a pen, in the East using a brush calligraphic painting Asian ink paintings made with the same brush as printing and with the same foundation of strokes cameo Stone carved in low relief; on banded stone, relief is in one color, the background in another cartouche The oval frame made by a rope or rope design protecting the name of an Egyptian pharaoh; by extension, any ornamental frame caryatid (karʹ ee·atʹ id) A female figure used as a column (a male figure is called an atlas) casein A painting medium in which pigment is mixed with milk and sometimes used for under painting an oil. It is quick drying and lusterless. casting A method of forming a shape by pouring molten metal or glass or plaster into a mold bearing its impression cathedral A church which contains the official throne of a bishop centaur In ancient Greek mythology, a creature with the head, arms and torso of a man and the body and legs of a horse ceramics Objects made of fired clay. Three basic types are: earthenware fired at lower temperatures stoneware fired at high temperatures; holds water without firing porcelain fired at high temperatures; white, translucent, and vitreous chasing Hammering the metal down from the front to produce a low relief design with linear margins; its opposite is repoussé, hammering design up from back of piece of sheet metal chiaroscuro (kee·arʹ o·skoorʹ o) In painting, the use of gradations of light and dark within a picture to create form chiton (kiteʹ on) A light, one-piece Greek tunic fastened with buttons or pins and worn by men and women, the essential and often only garment cippus (cipʹ pus) A small, low pillar (round or square) commonly having an inscription, used by the ancients as a boundary stone, tombstone, or site marker 3

Classical art The art and culture of Ancient Greece between 480 and 323 BCE; generally, art which aspires to a state of ideal equilibrium collage A composition made by combining various materials (paper, fabric, photographs, etc.) on a flat surface color An element of design that identifies natural and manufactured things as being red, yellow, blue, etc. The two basic variables in color are the amount of light reflected (value and tone) and the purity (saturation and intensity). column A vertical, circular architectural member used to carry weight; consists of a base, a shaft, and a capital composite view Representation in which part of a figure is shown in profile and another part frontally; also called simultaneous representation composition The arrangement of separate parts to create a whole connoisseur (kon·nuh·surʹ) A person who is an expert on works of art and the individual styles of artists contour The outline of an object or shape contrapposto (kon·tra·posʹ toh) Opposition of parts of a human body to other parts; a pose in which the body’s weight is supported by one leg (the engaged leg) so that the tension of one side is contrasted with the relaxation of the other (the free leg) cool colors Blue and associated hues that normally appear to recede and tend to be calming crypt (kript) A chamber under a building, wholly or partly underground cuneiform (koo·neeʹ ih·form) Writing from ancient Mesopotamia in which the characters are wedge-shaped Cycladic art (cy·claʹ dik) The prehistoric art (ca. 3000-2000 BCE) of the Aegean islands around Delos, excluding Crete cylinder seal A small cylindrical stone decorated with incised patterns. When rolled across soft clay, a raised pattern or design is produced.

decoration The design applied to furniture, ceramics, glass, enamel, textiles, paintings, etc.; common decorations include: acanthus leaf dentil palmette bead-and-reel dot/dot chain ring box egg-and-dart rosette cable hatching/cross hatching scallop shell carinate herringbone stripe checker ivy leaf/vine swastika chevron lozenge triangle circle/semi-circle meander zigzag

Daedalic style (dead·dalʹ ik) The Greek sculptural style between the Geometric and the Archaic (660–620 BCE) with strong Egyptian and Cretan influences design/composition The general form (composition) of a building or work of art diptych (dipʹ tik) Two panels or leaves that can be folded, used for altarpieces and private devotionals drapery In sculpture and painting, the clothing and hangings which can be used to express emotion and action and to create atmosphere drolleries The fanciful designs and playful characters in the margins of medieval manuscripts and on church furniture

4

emboss Any process designed to make a pattern or composition stand out in relief enamel Colored paste which bonds to metal and becomes like glass when fired encaustic (en·kawsʹ tik) A method of painting in which pigment is mixed with beeswax on a heated palette and applied to a rigid surface. It dries quickly and colors are permanent. engraving An intaglio process in which 1) lines are incised into the surface of metal plate (copper, zinc, steel), 2) ink is rubbed into the lines and the surface wiped clean, 3) a sheet of damp paper is laid on the plate, topped by layers of felt, and 4) a press forces the paper into the lines and it picks up the ink. The finished print is the reverse of the incised design. etching An intaglio process in which 1) lines are drawn with a steel needle through an acid- resistance ground (made of wax, pitch, mastic, asphalt) on metal, 2) the plate is then submerged in an acid bath which “etches” the exposed image into the metal, 3) the plate is dabbed with ink and the surface wiped clean, 4) the plate is pressed. The finished print is a reverse of the etched design. This process allows for correction and change. façade (fa·sahdʹ) The term to describe the exterior wall of a building, especially the front faience (fay·ahnsʹ) An opaque glaze made of quartz or sand; also refers to pottery covered with opaque glazes fête galante (fayt ga·lahntʹ) An elegant celebration or courtly scene; associated with Rococo painting fetish An object believed to possess magical powers, especially for oneself fibula A Greek invention, a pin with a clasp used to fasten a tunic at the shoulder figure-ground Refers to the visual relationship of a shape to its background; usually the figure is in front of the ground filigree work A jewelry technique in which thin metal wires are soldered to a background or used as openwork decoration flat color In painting, color that has little or no variation of texture, hue, or value foreshortening In painting, making an object seem shorter than it is in order to create an illusion of proper relative size; done by depicting the object lying at an angle form The individual shapes and volumes and their relationships in a work of art or building; the synthesis of elements which gives the piece its distinctive character frieze (freez) In architecture and furniture design, any sculpted or painted horizontal band of decoration fresco Painting in wet plaster (true fresco) with pigments suspended in water, in contrast to painting in dry plaster (fresco secco) with pigments suspended in a binding medium frontal In painting and sculpture, describes a subject which faces a viewer directly, not in profile or at an angle

genre (zhahnʹ rah) Art that depicts everyday life; also refers to a type of painting by its content, i.e., still-life, landscape, portraiture, or history painting Geometric art Greek art of the period ca. 800–660 BCE when pottery was covered with a network of fine geometric patterns and humans and animals were stylized to their basic shapes gesso (jessʹ so) Gypsum (hydrated calcium sulfate) prepared for use as a surface for painting glaze In ceramics, a glassy, non-porous coating on pottery; in painting, a transparent layer of paint over another layer glyptic (glipʹ tik) Of carving; a carved object 5

granulation A technique for decorating gold and silver jewelry in which tiny balls of metal are soldered on in decorative patterns griffin A composite creature with the head, wings, and claws of an eagle and the body and hind legs of a lion hand The unique way an artist works with his medium, recognizable by brushstrokes, color palette, treatment of subjects, etc. hatching Using fine lines close together to effect shading in drawing and engraving Hellenistic art Greek art of the period 323-150 BCE marked by action and emotion highlights Parts of an art work that reflect the most light; created in painting by leaving the paper white or using light colors, in sculpture by creating shadowed areas himation (hi·matʹ shun) In Ancient Greece, an outer mantle or cloak worn by men and women over the chiton hue The property of a color which gives it its name–red, green, yellow, etc. hydria (highʹ dree·uh; pl. hydriai, highʹ dree·i) A jar with three handles (two for carrying and one for pouring) used for carrying water

icon (eye·konʹ) A panel painting representing a sacred figure of the Greek or Russian Orthodox Church, painted according to established pictorial conventions; any object of veneration iconography (eye·kon·ogʹ ra·fee) The study of meanings associated with objects, persons and events in art; this requires interpreting attributes, signs and symbols, composition, setting, costumes, and gestures; also refers to the attributes themselves idealization Depicting people, objects, scenes, etc., according to some preconceived ideal or form, not as they are naturally illumination Decoration of leaves of a manuscript, often with gold, silver, and bright colors inlay A decorative process in which pieces of one material are set into the surface of an object made from a different material illusionism An attempt by an artist to make the unreal appear real impasto (em·pahʹ sto) A painting technique in which a thick layer or lumps of paint are put on a canvas intaglio (in·tahlʹ ee·oh) A method of reproducing a design in which paper is 1) pressed onto an etched or engraved surface that has been inked and wiped, leaving incisions inked; 2) then pressed into the inked recessions in the plate. In stones/gems, intaglio is the opposite of cameo. intensity The strength, brightness, or purity of a color. The more intense the color, the less it has been weakened with neutrals or its complementary color. jamb The side of a doorway or window frame kantharos (kanʹ·tho·ros; pl. kantharoi, kan·tha·royʹ) A two-handled goblet with a deep bowl kiln (kiln) A large oven in which pottery is fired kinetic sculpture Sculpture which is made to be seen while all or part of it is set in motion by mechanical or natural means kore (korʹ ay; pl. korai, kor·iʹ) An Archaic statue of a draped standing maiden kouros (koorʹ aus; pl. kouroi, koorʹ roy) An Archaic statue of a nude standing male youth 6

krater A large bowl with a broad body, wide mouth and two handles, used for mixing wine and water kyathos (keeʹ·uh·thos; pl. kyathoi, keeʹ uh·thoy) A deep bowl on a foot, often with a handle rising above the rim kylix (kyʹ liks; pl. kylixes, kyʹ liks·ees) A tall, stemmed, shallow drinking cup with two handles near the rim lapis lazuli (lapʹ is laʹ zoo·lee) A semiprecious stone used for carving and for making ultramarine blue pigment lekythos (lekʹ ih·thos; pl. lekythoi, lekʹ ih·thoy) A tall, cylindrical, one-handled vase used for oil line A mark made by a moving point. In art, a line defines space and may create a silhouette or define a contour, creating the illusion of mass and volume lithography (li·thogʹ ra·fee) A process in which 1) the image is drawn or painted with a greasy substance onto a flat plate or stone, 2) the surface is then chemically treated so that the image accepts ink and the non-image area repels ink, 3) paper is placed upon its surface, and rolled through a press under great pressure. The finished print is the reverse of the original design. The term has commercial connotation because lithography is suited to color printing and bold, large areas and lines. lunette (loo·netʹ; Fr. little moon) A semicircular space, often containing a windowpane or a mural, above a window or doorway lost-wax casting A casting technique in which a model is first made of wax, which is then enclosed in a clay and plaster mold. The wax is melted out and molten metal is run in to replace it. mandorla An almond-shaped light surrounding the whole of a sacred figure, such as Christ medium The material or technique with which an artist works millefiore glass (mila·fi·orʹ uh; It. 1000 flowers) Brightly colored discs of glass fused together; each disc consists of thin colored rods fused together miniature A very small portrait; a picture in an illuminated manuscript Minoan art (Mi·noʹ·an) The period of ca. 1700–1200 BCE on Crete, known for its palaces with frescoes on the walls depicting naturalism in painting animals and plants modeling In clay, the shaping of three-dimensional forms; in painting and drawing, the creation of light and dark by gradations of value molding A band of decorated, recessed, or projected design, intended to break up a flat surface monumental Describes any structure, painting, figure, etc., which is grand, massive, and appears permanent mosaic The inlaying or affixing small pieces of stone, glass, or terracotta to a base to create a decoration motif (moh·teefʹ) The prominent feature of the subject or form of a work of art mural A large painting or artwork, usually designed for and created on the wall or ceiling of a public building Mycenaean art (My·seeʹ·ne·an)The period of ca. 1700–1200 BCE on the mainland of Greece which produced palace complexes, tholos tombs, and gold work naturalism The concept that art should conform as closely as possible to nature 7

niche (nitch or neesh) A hollow in a wall, often arched, usually intended to hold a work of art nimbus The disc or halo, usually golden, placed behind the head of a saint or sacred personage objet d’art (objay·darʹ) A piece of decorative art of small size and, generally, exquisite finish obsidian A dark, hard, glassy volcanic rock obverse On coins or medals, the side that bears the principal type or inscription. The opposite side is reverse odalisque (ohʹ da·lisk) A female harem slave, often painted nude, reclining oeuvre (uhʹ vreh; Fr. work) Works, as in an artist’s lifetime production oil painting A type of painting in which pigment is mixed with oils (such as linseed, nut, or poppy seed) and thinned with turpentine or petroleum. It is durable and a wide range of textural effects are possible. oinochoe (o·noʹ kee·eh; pl. oinochoai, oy·no·kee·iʹ) A pitcher-shaped jug with a handle used for pouring liquids olpe (olʹ pee; pl. olpes, olʹ pies) A jug with a round mouth and sagging belly. Unlike the oinochoe, it has no spout. order In Classical architecture, a system of a column and its entablature. Doric, Corinthian, and Ionic are the principal orders. Orientalizing Art The period of ca. 700-600 BCE in which increased contact with the East (such as Anatolia, Assyria, and Egypt) influenced Greek art. Floral and animal motifs appeared on black-figure vases. ossuary A container or receptacle to hold the bones of the dead ostracon (osʹ tra·kon; pl. ostraca, osʹ tra·kah) A shell, flake of limestone, or sherd (broken piece of pottery) on which sketches and written notes were made

painterly A style of painting that embraces, shows, and elaborates the medium in which it is created, marked by openness of forms with shapes formed by variations of color rather than by outline or contour palmette A fan-shaped ornament with radiating leaves that are always odd numbered with the central leaf the largest palette The colors typically used by an artist; literally, a thin board on which the artist mixes colors papyrus A native Egyptian rush from which the ancient Egyptians made a form of paper parchment Any animal skin prepared for writing or painting; vellum refers specifically to calf skin pastels Finely ground pigments pressed into sticks; colors in any medium that are pale patina (pa·teenʹ a) The green, oxidized layer that forms on bronze and copper pediment (pedʹ·i·ment) The triangular space formed by the pitched roof at the ends of a building pelike (pelʹ a·kee) A pear-shaped, two-handled vase used for storage pentimento (pen’·ti·men·to; It. regrets) Refers to images that were painted over but, as the painting ages, become apparent peplos (pepʹ loz) A heavy, one-piece garment worn by women. It was fastened at the shoulders with pins and was often worn with an overfold. 8

perspective The representation of three-dimensional objects in a two-dimensional space. Linear perspective uses parallel lines converging on a single point on the horizon (the vanishing point). Aerial (atmospheric) perspective creates the illusion of distance by the diminishment of color intensity and the blurring of contours. phiale (feeʹ·uh·lee; pl. phialai, feeʹ uh li) A shallow bowl without handles used for making libations and for drinking pictograph A picture that represents an idea; also used in writing pigment Finely ground or mixed coloring material (plant, vegetable, mineral) used in making paint, chalk, crayon, etc. piriform Pear-shaped plaster Term used for the white powder formed by gypsum or lime. It is sometimes used incorrectly for stucco. plastic Molded; sculpted in three dimension plein air painting (plen·air) Painting done out of doors; painting which represents the effects of outdoor light pointillism The use of dots of color to create an image; when viewed at a distance, pointillism creates a luminous effect polychrome Having several colors rather than one (monochrome) post-and-lintel system An architectural system based on vertical supports for horizontal members: two posts support a lintel portrait Any form of art expression that features a specific person or animal pottery Objects made of clay, usually fired to produce a hard, porous surface (Porcelain is in a separate class. See ceramics.) predella (pray·del’la) The base of an altarpiece, frequently decorated with themes related to those of the altarpiece protome In pottery, the likeness of a head of a person, deity or animal print An image which exists in multiple copies and which has been taken from a woodblock, engraved plate, silkscreen stencil, lithographic stone, etc. profile The side view of an object or person proportion The ratio of one part to another; the relationship of each part to the whole and to other parts provenance (prov’e·nanz) The place of origin; source; a record of all known previous owners and locations of a work of art provenience (pro·ven’ne·ens) The source or origin of something in archaeology; the horizontal and vertical position where an object was found putto (pooʹ toe; pl. putti, pooʹ tee) Cupid-like child used in the decoration of architecture and painting pyxis (pix’ehs; pl. pyxides, pix’eh·dees) A small, lidded jar or box in pottery, metal, stone or wood for holding cosmetics, jewelry, and other precious objects quatrefoil (katʹ re·foyl) A four-lobed decorative shape or design raku (ra·cooʹ) A sub-group of earthenware, low-fired; also refers to a Japanese firing technique realism The depiction of people, objects, scenes, etc., according to nature, not idealization 9

recto The more important side of a two-sided object; in a book, the right-hand page; opposite verso red-figure technique A style of pottery painting in which the figures are left in the red of the clay while the background is filled in and turns black during the firing process. Details can be painted on with a brush. register One of a series of horizontal bands of decoration or narrative, one above the other relief sculpture Sculpture which is not freestanding but is carved or cast so that the figures project from the surface. The degree of relief can be high (almost detached from the surface), medium, or low (also called bas-relief). reliquary A small container, often made of precious materials, used as a repository for sacred relics repoussé (reh·poo·sayʹ) A metal working technique in which a design is raised by hammering on the reverse of a metal sheet; embossing representation A likeness, image, picture; objects or figures are easily identified rhyton (ryʹ ton; pl. rhyta, ryʹ ta) A vessel in the shape of a figure or animal, used for drinking or pouring liquids on ceremonial occasions rhythm A principle of design that indicates a type of movement in an artwork or design, often created by repeated shapes, lines or colors rosette Any ornament resembling a flower and circular in shape salon A reception room in a large house; an art exhibition, such as the French Salon started in the 18th C.; a room of an art exhibition sarcophagus (sar·kofʹ a·gus) A rectangular stone coffin exposed to view, often decorated with relief sculpture saturation The purity of a hue satyr (satʹ ur) In Greek mythology, a half-man, half-goat follower of Dionysus scale The size of an object related to other objects of its kind or to man; in architecture, the relation of the actual size of a structure to its representational size school A group of artists working in a similar style; the influence on an artist by another artist or the style of the region sculpture The art of carving wood, chiseling stone, casting and welding metal, modeling clay or wax into three-dimensional representations of figures and forms sculpture in the round Freestanding figures carved in three dimensions sfumato (sfoo·maʹ toh) A smoke-like haziness that subtly softens the outlines in a painting shade A basic hue mixed with black; frequently used to create darkened areas shading In art, a darkened portion to represent areas cut off from direct light shape Formed whenever a line turns or lines meet, even though an area may not be entirely enclosed; a shape can be called C-shape, S-shape, T-shape, etc. sherds (potsherds) Broken pottery from earlier civilizations; used in archaeological study silkscreen A stencil process in which 1) a fine-mesh material is stretched within a frame, 2) the non-image blank is affixed to the material, and 3) semi-liquid ink is scraped over the material and passes through the open areas of the stencil onto the paper or fabric beneath it sketch A painting or drawing capturing the essence of an object or scene, giving an idea or outline of it or a part of it skyphos (skeʹ fos; pl. skyphoi, skeʹ foy) A shallow two-handled drinking cup on a foot with horizontal handles 10

slip A mixture of clay and water brushed onto pottery as a final decorative coat, can also attach parts such as handles space The actual area an object occupies or a building encloses and the illusionistic representation of space in painting and sculpture spindle whorl A weight attached to the end of a spindle to facilitate manipulation of the thread in spinning stela (Latin) (steʹ la; pl. stelae, steeʹ li) or stele (Greek) (steeʹ lee; pl. stelai, steeʹ li) A carved or painted stone slab, used as a grave marker or to hold decrees still life A painting of inanimate objects with subjects such as books, flowers, bowls, etc. stirrup jar A rounded vase with a double handle and a narrow spout; common in Mycenaean civilization structure The compositional relationships in a work of art; also, a building stucco A malleable material made of a mixture of slaked lime, sand, water, and a strengthener such as ground marble; can be easily molded or modeled; used internally and externally for covering walls or for sculpture and architectural decoration study A drawing, sketch, or painting done in preparation for a finished piece of art. Artists may do multiple studies before beginning and during the process of creating the piece. style A way of making, composing, coloring, etc., a work of art that is characteristic of a period, a people, or an artist stylistic development Change in shape and decoration and in the way of making art over time stylization A manner of representation that follows artistic or intellectual ideas rather than producing naturalistic images. The product of stylization is said to be stylized. stylus (styʹ lus) An instrument for writing on wax tablets. One end is pointed for writing, the other is wedge-shaped for smoothing out the wax. sublime That which is awe-inspiring, associated with grandeur, immensity, or irresistible power symmetry Balance in art achieved by arranging corresponding parts on both sides of an axis; can be achieved with color, shape, texture, etc.; contrasted to asymmetry syncretism In religion and philosophy, the union of different ideas or principles. In art, the use of styles from different time periods in one object subject That which is represented in painting: grand (religious, mythological, historical, tells story); landscape; portrait; still life; genre (scenes from everyday life); psychological/poetic (inner states, abstract qualities); abstract (no reference to anything outside of painting itself)

tapestry A textile artwork made from cloth or fibers such as yarn technique The processes artists use to create a work of art as well as the personal ways in which they handle their materials and tools tempera A type of painting in which pigment is mixed with a binder of egg, milk, oil or other substance; dries quickly, resists yellowing and darkening; allows precise details terracotta Baked clay used for figurines, pottery and architectural decorations, may be glazed or painted tessera (tesʹ uh·ra; pl. tesserae, tes·uh·riʹ) One small piece of stone, glass, or terracotta used in a mosaic composition texture The quality of a surface, tactile and visual (rough, smooth, hard, soft, shiny, dull); created in painting by light even though the paint is the actual texture tint A basic hue mixed with white to raise its value; frequently used for highlights tondo A circular painting or relief sculpture 11

tone Loosely, any color; specifically a value or shade trefoil (traʹ foil) A three-lobed decorative shape or design; a popular Gothic shape triptych (tripʹ dik) Three panels or leaves that can be folded; used for altarpieces and private devotionals trompe l’oeil (trohmpʹ loy; Fr. fools the eye) The technique and the product of a form of illusionistic painting that attempts to deceive the viewer into believing something is real tympanum (timʹ pa·num) The recessed, ornamental area of stone or brickwork enclosed between an arch and the lintel of a portal, often triangular in shape unguentarium (unʹ guen·tarʹ eum; pl. ungentaria, unʹ guen·tar·eeʹ a) A small container, usually made of glass, used in ancient times for precious liquids value The amount of light reflected by the hue: the greater the light, the higher the value vanishing point In linear perspective, the point on the horizon toward which parallel lines appear to converge and vanish verso The reverse side of a two-sided object; in a book, the verso is the left-hand page, the recto is the right viewpoint The point from which the viewer looks at the work of art, often according to the principles of linear perspective (a single point of view) vignette (ven·yetʹ) A photograph, picture, illustration with no definite border but a shading off at the edges; an ornamental design of vines, leaves, grapes used as a border or inset votive offering An object offered to a god or other deity warm colors Red, orange and yellow hues that seem to advance or project and tend to be exciting warp The vertical threads of a loom; usually thicker threads set up on the loom to provide a framework for the weft threads wash A thin, transparent film used in painting, especially in watercolors watercolor A type of painting in which pigment is mixed with gum Arabic or glue; can be applied quickly; has short drying time; gouache is opaque watercolor weft The horizontal threads of a loom, usually thinner threads stretched through the warp threads at a right angle white-ground technique A style of pottery painting in which the body of the vase is covered in a white slip and the design is painted over it woodcut A relief process in which 1) the non-image areas of the composition are cut into a block of wood whose surface goes with the grain, 2) the raised area is inked, 3) proof paper is placed on the inked surface of the wood and rubbed. The finished print is the reverse of the woodcut design. workshop The apprentices and assistants who help an artist (master) with his or her work; the building (atelier) in which they work zoomorphism (zoo·o·morʹ phism) Representation of a god in the form of or with the attributes of an animal; the use of animal forms in art or symbolism

Other Resources 12

Origin and pronunciation of ancient deities can be found at www.pantheon.org Parts of arches, domes, cathedrals and columns are discussed in detail in Art Through the Ages (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 20th ed.) Googling any art term will provide many references with illustrations, examples, and pronunciation.