Art Final Grade 9 Vocabulary Terms

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Balance

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a principle of art, it refers to a way of combining art elements to create a feeling of equilibrium or stability in work

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Emphasis

Back 2

a principle of art, it refers to a way of combining elements to stress the differences between those elements

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Harmony

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a principle of art, it refers to a way of combining similar elements in an artwork to accent their similarities

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Variety

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a principle of art that refers to a way of combining art elements in involved ways to create intricate and complex relationships

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Gradation

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a principle of art, it refers to a way of combing art elements by using a series of gradual changes in those elements

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Movement

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a principle of art used to create the look and feeling of action and to guide the viewers eye throughout the work of art

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Rhythm

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a principle of art, it refers to the careful placement of repeated elements in a work of art to cause a visual tempo or beat

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Proportion

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The principle of art concerned with the relationship of certain elements to the whole and to each other

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Unity

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The look and feel of wholeness or oneness in a work of art

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Value

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An element of art that describes the lightness or darkness of a hue

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Line

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An element of art that refers to the continuous mark made on some surface by a moving point

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Texture

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The element of art that refers to the way things feel, or look as if they might feel if touched

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Space

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An element of art that refers to the distance or area between, around, above, below, or within things

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Design

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A skillful blend of the elements and principles of art

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The Seven Elements of Art

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Color, Form, Line, Shape, Space, Texture, Value

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Style

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The artist’s personal way of using the elements and principles of art to reproduce what is seen and to express ideas and feelings

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The four steps of art history

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Describe, Analyze, Interpret, Decide

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Ziggurat

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A stepped mountain made of brick-covered earth

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Megalith

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A large monument created from huge stone slabs

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Cuneiform

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Writing with wedge-shaped characters

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Mastaba

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A low, rectangular Egyptian tomb made of mud brick with sloping sides and a flat top, covering a burial chamber

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Hieroglyphics

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The characters and picture-writing used by the ancient Egyptians

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Obelisk

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A tall, four-sided shaft of stone, usually tapering, that rises to a pyramidal point

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Lintel

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A horizontal beam spanning an opening between two walls or posts

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Colonnade

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A line of columns supporting lintels or arches

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Contrapposta

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A way of sculpting a human figure in a natural pose with the weight of the body balanced on one leg while the other is free and relaxed

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Column

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An upright post used to bear weight. Columns usually consist of a base at the bottom, a shaft, and a capital

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Mural

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A large design or picture, painted directly on
the wall of a public building

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Basilica

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A type of public building erected to hold large numbers of people

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Tapestry

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Textile wall hanging that is woven, painted, or embroidered with decorative designs or colorful scenes

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Illuminations

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Manuscript paintings, particularly those done during the Medieval period

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Gothic

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A period that began around the middle of the twelfth century and lasted to the end of the fifteenth or sixteenth centuries

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Gargoyle

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The grotesque carved monsters that project out from the upper portions of huge churches

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Buttress

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A support or brace that counteracts the out-
ward thrust of an arch or vault

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Aerial Perspective

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Aerial, or atmospheric, perspective is achieved by using hue, value, and intensity to show distance in a painting

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Linear Perspective

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A graphic system that showed artists how to create the illusion of depth and volume on a flat surface

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Renaissance

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A period of great awakening. The word renaissance means rebirth

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Humanism

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An interest in the art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome

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Chiaroscuro

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The arrangement of dramatic contrasts of light and shadow

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Baroque Art

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An art style characterized by movement, vivid contrast, and emotional intensity

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Genre

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A representation of people, subjects, and scenes from everyday life

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Rococo Art

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An eighteenth-century art style that placed emphasis on portraying the carefree life of the aristocracy rather than on grand heroes or pious martyrs