Ap Art History - 5 & 6

Front 1

Hellenism

Back 1

spread of Greek culture

Front 2

mosaic

Back 2

images formed by small colored stones affixed to a hard, stable surface

Front 3

tesserae

Back 3

same as above but with glass pieces instead of stones

Front 4

undercutting

Back 4

sculpting technique by which the material is cut back under edges so the remaining form projects strongly forward, casting deep shadows

Front 5

crenellated

Back 5

altering high and low sections of a wall, giving a notched appearance and creating permanent defensive shields in walls of fortified buldings

Front 6

atrium

Back 6

unroofed interior courtyard in a Roman house, sometimes having a pool.
Also: open courtyard in front of Christian Church, or an entrance in modern architecture

Front 7

terra-cotta:

Back 7

medium made from clay fired over a low heat and sometimes left unglazed; usually orange-brown

Front 8

stucco

Back 8

mixture of lime, sand, and other ingredients into a malleable material. When dry, good for covering walls or architectural sculpture/decorations

Front 9

sarcophagus

Back 9

rectangular stone coffin; often decorated with relief sculpture

Front 10

illusionistic

Back 10

an appearance of reality in art created by the use of pictorial means like perspective and foreshortening

Front 11

aqueduct

Back 11

a trough to carry flowing water, if necessary, by supporting arches

Front 12

barrel vault

Back 12

formed from a series of arches connected to make a tunnel

Front 13

groin vault

Back 13

crossed ceiling arch is formed when to barrel vaults intersect

Front 14

buttressing

Back 14

architectural support consisting of massive masonry built against an exterior wall to brace the wall and counter the thrust of the vaults. Transfers the weight to the ground.

Front 15

jamb

Back 15

vertical element found on both sides of an opening in a wall, supports arch or lintel

Front 16

voussoir

Back 16

oblong, wedge shaped stone blocks used to build

Front 17

bay

Back 17

unit of space defined by columns, piers, and walls

Front 18

spandrel

Back 18

area of a wall adjoining the exterior curve of an
arch between its springing and the keystone, or the area between
two arches, or the area between two arches, as in an arcade

Front 19

keystone

Back 19

the top most voussoir at the center of an arch, and the
last block to be placed. The pressure of this block holds the arch
together

Front 20

Augustus:

Back 20

of Rome was born with the given name Gaius Octavius. Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian) in 44 B.C. after the murder of his great uncle, Julius Caesar. In his will Caesar had adopted Octavian and made him his heir. First emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in AD 14.

Front 21

apotheosis

Back 21

definition of a person or thing. Shown by the ascent to heaven or glory, borne by an eagle, angels, or putti

Front 22

Pax Romana

Back 22

(Latin for "Roman peace") the long period of relative peace and minimal expansion by military force experienced by the powerful Roman Empire in the first and second centuries AD. Since it was established by the Emperor Augustus it is sometimes called Pax Augustus. Its timing was approximately from 27 BC to 180 AD.

Front 23

Publius Aelius Hadrianus [Hadrian]

Back 23

was emperor of Rome from 117 to 138 AD, as well as a Stoic and Epicurean philosopher. A member of the gens Aelia, Hadrian was the third of the Five Good Emperors, or the second of the recently proposed ulpio-aelian dynasty. His reign had a faltering beginning, a glorious middle, and a tragic conclusion.

Front 24

Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus [Trajan]

Back 24

Roman Emperor who reigned from 98 until his death in 117

Front 25

Marcus Aurelius

Back 25

(often referred to as "the wise") Roman Emperor from 161 to his death in 180. He was the last of the "Five Good Emperors", and is also considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers.

Front 26

intuitive perspective

Back 26

a method of giving the impression of recession by visual instinct, not by the use of an overall system or program

Front 27

atmospheric perspective

Back 27

method of rendering the effect of spatial distance by subtle variations in color and clarity of representation

Front 28

pilasters:

Back 28

engaged columnar element that is rectangular in format and used for decoration in architecture

Front 29

engaged columns

Back 29

columns attached to a wall

Front 30

oculus

Back 30

circular opening

Front 31

rotunda

Back 31

building constructed in a circle usually topped by a dome

Front 32

Tuscan order

Back 32

variation of Doric but with smooth surfaced columns

Front 33

Composite order

Back 33

combo or ionic and Corinthian

Front 34

coffers

Back 34

recessed, decorative panel used to reduce the weight of/decorate ceilings or vaults

Front 35

Roundel

Back 35

any element with a circular format; usually exterior decoration

Front 36

Naos

Back 36

principle room in a temple or church

Front 37

Tondo

Back 37

painting or relief of circular shape

Front 38

Forum

Back 38

Roman town center; site of temples and administrative buildings used as a market or gathering area for the citizens

Front 39

Constantine, Edict of Milan:

Back 39

a letter signed by emperors Constantine and Licinius, that proclaimed religious toleration in the Roman Empire. The letter was issued in 313

Front 40

Nave

Back 40

The central longitudinal space of a bascilican church. It is usually flanked on its lond sides by aislas which are separated from the nave by columns or piers. In many churches, the lay congregation stand in the nave to attend religious services.

Front 41

Crossing

Back 41

Area of a church where the nave, choir, and transept intersect

Front 42

Transept

Back 42

A rectangular area which cuts across the main axis of a basilica-type building and projects beyond it. The transept gives a basilica the shape of a Latin cross and usually serves to separate the main area of the building from an apse at the end.

Front 43

Apse

Back 43

A vaulted extension or projection, usually from a choir or chapel and generally circular or polygonal in shape.

Front 44

nave arcade

Back 44

A series of arches supported by columns or piers.

Front 45

narthex

Back 45

A low projection at the western end of a church, like a porch. Although narthex is sometimes used synonymously with westwork, a narthex is usually more open and often has only one story in contrast to the more closed west work with a large open chamber on the upper level.

Front 46

basilica plan

Back 46

large rectangular building (usually with) a clerestory, side aisles, separated from the center nave by colonnades, and an apse at one or both ends

Front 47

central plan

Back 47

sides are of equal length and in which the main space is symmetrical when bisected laterally and longitudinally. A centrally-planned building may be square, circular, or polygonal. The most important feature of a centrally-planned building is the open space at the center of the building, developed around a vertical axis.

Front 48

Forum

Back 48

Roman town center; site of temples and administrative buildings used as a market or gathering area for the citizens

Front 49

Constantine, Edict of Milan

Back 49

a letter signed by emperors Constantine and Licinius, that proclaimed religious toleration in the Roman Empire. The letter was issued in 313

Front 50

Catacomb

Back 50

Subterranean burial chamber used during the Roman Empire. Catacombs were used for burial, not only by Christians, but they are usually associated with Christianity because the Christians held services in the catacombs while they were still persecuted by the Romans

Front 51

Cubiculum

Back 51

small private room for burials in catacombs

Front 52

Naos

Back 52

principle room in a temple or church

Front 53

nave colonnade

Back 53

A row of columns which support horizontal members, called an architrave, rather than arches.

Front 54

Galleries

Back 54

An upper story over the aisle which opens onto the nave or choir. It corresponds in length and width to the dimensions of the aisle below it.

Front 55

Parchment

Back 55

writing surface made of treated skins of animals. Very fine known as vellum.

Front 56

Manuscript

Back 56

handwritten book of document

Front 57

Pendentives

Back 57

concave triangular section of a vault that forms the transitions between a square or polygonal space

Front 58

Squinches

Back 58

arch or lintel built over the upper corners of a square space

Front 59

Piers

Back 59

An upright support, generally square, rectangular, or composite. In medieval architecture there are massive circular supports called drum piers.

Front 60

Folio

Back 60

large sheet of paper which when folded and cut becomes four separate or parchment pages in a book

Front 61

cloisonné

Back 61

enamel technique where metal wire or strips are affixed to the surface to form the design

Front 62

repousse

Back 62

technique of hammering metal from the back to create a protruding image

Front 63

mandorla

Back 63

almond shaped area in which a sacred figure is represented

Front 64

iconoclasm

Back 64

banning/destruction of icons and religious art: 8th and 9th century Byzantium

Front 65

Icon

Back 65

image in any material representing a sacred figure or event