Art History Vocab Final Exam

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achromatic

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having no color or hue
ex. black, brown, white, gray

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acrylic

Back 2

Clear plastic used as a binder in paint and as a casting material in sculpture

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aesthetic

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Pertaining to the sense of the beautiful and to heightened sensory perception in general

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afterimage

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Visual image that remains after initial stimulus is removed
Ex. Staring at a single color may cause cones of eye to become fatigued and perceive only the complement of the original hue

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analogous colors

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Closely related colors
Ex. Blue, blue-green, green (neighbors on the color wheel)

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aperture

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Camera lens opening and its relative diameter.
As measuring number (f-stops) increases, aperture size decreases, reducing amount of light

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apse

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Semicircular end to an aisle in a basilica or Christian church (eastern end of central aisle)

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arcade

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Series of arches supported by columns or piers.
Covered passageway between arches

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armature

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Rigid framework serving as supporting inner core for clay or other soft sculpting material

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artist's proof

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Trial print made to check progress, usually on plate or block

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asymmetrical

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without symmetry

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atmospheric perspective

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aerial perspective
creates illusion of distance by reducing color saturation, value contrast and detail
hazy effect

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balance

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arrangement of parts achieving state of equilibrium
Main types:
symmetrical and asymmetrical

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Baroque

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17th century period in Europe
dramatic light and shade
turbulent composition
exaggerated emotional expression

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barrel vault

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aka tunnel
semicircular arch extended in depth
continuous series of arches, one behind the other

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bas

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"low"
how much a 3D sculpture projects from the flat surface it was made from
opposite=high relief

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Basilica

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roman town hall
3 aisles and apse

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Bauhaus

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German art school(1919-1933)
influenced design
leader in art education
applied design principles to machine technology

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binder

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material used in paint that causes pigment particles to adhere to each other and to the support
ex. linseed oil or acrylic polymer

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bodhisattva

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Buddhist holy person, who is about to achieve enlightenment, but postpones it to to teach others on earth
common in art of China and Japan

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buttress

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support for a wall, arch, or vault that opposes lateral structure
Gothic cathedrals

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Byzantine art

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5th century C.E. in Byzantine empire of eastern Europe
Architecture:
round arches, large domes, extensive use of mosaic
Painting:
frontal and stylized figures, rich use of color, especially gold, religious

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camera obscura

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dark room or box with small hole in one side, through which inverted image is projected onto opposite wall or screen
image is traced
tool for recording optically accurate image

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cantilever

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beam or slab projecting substantial distance beyond supporting post or wall

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cartoon

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1. humorous or satirical
2. drawing completed for fresco, mural, or tapestry

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casting

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substitution or replacement process involving pouring liquid into a mold
liquid hardens, mold removed, form in shape of mold
ex. molten metal, clay, wax, or plaster

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ceramics

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clay hardened into relatively permanent material by firing

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chiaroscuro

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"light-dark"
gradations of light and dark in 2D images
illusion of rounded, 3D form created through light and shade rather than line
Renaissance

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closed form

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self-contained or explicitly limited
resolved balance of tensions
sense of calm completeness implying totality within self

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coffer

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decorative sunken panel on underside of ceiling

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collage

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from French word "coller", to glue
a work made by gluing materials, such as paper scraps, photos, and cloth on a flat surface

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colonnade

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row of columns usually spanned or connected by beams(lintels)

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complementary colors

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2 hues directly opposite on a color wheel
when mixed, produce neutral gray
ex. PURPLE AND GOLD!

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composition

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combining of parts or elements to form a whole
total form of a work of art

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conceptual art

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originating idea and process for a work of art are more important than tangible product
often exist only as descriptions of mental concepts
late 1960s

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contrapposto

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Italian for "counterpose"
weight placed on one foot causing hips and shoulder to jut out
graceful S curve

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cool colors

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green, blue-green, blue, blue-violet, and violet
opposite is...WARM.

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crosshatching

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drawing one set of hatchings over another in a different direction so the lines cross

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cubism

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Paris 1915ish, by Picasso and Braque
most influential style of 20th century
based on simultaneous presentation of multiple views, geometric reconstruction of flattened subjects
neutral colors
2 Types:
analytical and synthetic

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curtain wall

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a non-load bearing wall

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curvilinear

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curving lines or edges
DUH

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dressed stone

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stone used for building that is cut to fit in a masonry wall

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drypoint

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intaglio printmaking process
lines scratched directly into metal plate with steel needle

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earthworks

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sculptural forms made from earth, rocks, or plants
vast scale, remote locations

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edition

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total number of prints made and approved by artist

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elevation

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in architecture, scale drawing of any vertical side of a given structure

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encaustic

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painting medium in which pigment is suspended in binder of hot wax

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entasis

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slight swelling or bulge in center of column, which corrects illusion of concave tapering produced by parallel straight lines
Classical Architecture

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etching

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intaglio printmaking process
metal plate is first coated with acid-resistant wax, then scratched to expose metal to the bite of nitric acid where lines are desired

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flying buttress

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consists of a strut or segment of an arch carrying the thrust of a vault to a vertical pier positioned away from main portion of building

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folk art

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art of people who have had no formal, academic training
works are part of an established tradition of style and craft

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foreshortening

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representation of forms on 2D surface by shortening length in a way long axis appears to project toward or recede away from viewer

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format

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shape or proportions of a picture plane

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fresco

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pigments suspended in water are applied to damp lime-plaster surface.
dry to become part of plaster wall or surface

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frieze

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narrow band of relief sculpture
usually occupies space above columns of a classical building

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glaze

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ceramics
glassy coating applied to seal and decorate surfaces
colored, transparent, or opaque

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gouache

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opaque, water-soluble paint
watercolor to which opaque white has been added

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hierarchic proportion

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use of unnatural proportions or scale to show relative importance of figures

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hue

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property of color identifying specific, named wavelength of light
synonymous with color

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iconography

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symbolic meanings of subjects and signs used to convey ideas important to particular cultures or religions

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impasto

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thick paint applied to surface in heavy manner
appearance and cosistency of buttery paste

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implied line

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line in composition not actually drawn
ex. sight line of figure in composition

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intaglio

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printmaking technique
lines and areas to be inked and transferred to paper are recessed below surface of printing plate
ex. etching, engraving, drypoint, aquatint

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intensity

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relative purity or saturation of hue
scale from bright(pure) to dull(mixed)

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kiln

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oven in which pottery or ceramic ware is fired

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kore

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Greek for "maiden"
archaic Greek statue of standing clothed young woman

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kouros

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Greek for "youth"
archaic Greek statue of standing nude young male

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linear perspective

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parallel lines or edges appear to converge and objects appear smaller as distance between viewer and object increases

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lintel

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horizontal stone or timber placed across architectural space to take weight of roof

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lithography

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printmaking technique
antipathy of oil and water
image drawn with grease crayon on aluminum or stone.
surface is chemically treated so it accepts the ink

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local color

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true color, without shadows or reflections
aka object color

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Mannerism

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16th century
reaction to classical rationality of High Ren
dramatic use of space and light, exaggerated color, elongation of figures, distortions of perspective

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Minimalism

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nonrepresentational style of sculpture and painting
severely restricted in use of visual elements
simple geometric shapes or masses
1960s

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monochromatic

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color scheme limited to variations of one hue

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montage

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pictures or parts of pictures previously drawn, painted, or photgraphed

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mosaic

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small pieces of colored glass, stone, or ceramic tile are embedded in plaster or mortar

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mosque

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house of public prayer in Muslim religion

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mural

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large wall painting
often fresco

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nave

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tall central space of church or cathedral
flanked by side aisles

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Neoclassicism

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revival of classical Greek and Roman forms in art, music, literature
18th and 19th centuries
against Baroque and Rococo

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neutrals

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not associated with any single hue
can be made by mixing complements
ex. black, white, gray, brown

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nonobjective

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without recognizable objects
aka nonrepresentational

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opaque

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impenetrable by light
not transparent or translucent

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organic

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irregular, non-geometric shape
resembles any living matter

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picture plane

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2D picture surface

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pigment

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any coloring agent made from natural or synthetic substances
used in paints or drawing

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plate mark

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impression made on piece of paper by pressing printing plate on it

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pointillism

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using tiny dots of color
Georges Seurat 1880s

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Pop Art

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late 1950s and 1960s
based on visual cliches, subject matter, and impersonal style of popular mass media

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primary colors

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hues that cannot be produced by mixing other hues
red, yellow, and blue
make all other colors in spectrum

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proportion

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size relationship of parts to a whole and to one another

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rhythm

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regular or ordered repetition of dominant and subordinate elements or units within a design

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Rococo

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late Baroque
playful, pretty, romantic, visually loose or soft
ornate decoration, pastels
popular in France and southern Germany in 18th century

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santero

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"saint-maker"
person in Hispanic traditions who carves or paints religious figures

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scale

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size of an object in relation to other object, people or its environment
ratio of measurements in drawing to measurements in building

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secondary color

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orange, violet, and green
may be produced in slightly dulled forms by mixing primaries

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shade

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a hue with black added

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shape

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2D area defined by line or changes in value and/or color

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slip

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clay that is thinned to consistency of cream
used to paint on earthenware or stoneware ceramics

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style

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handling of media and elements of form
give a work its identity as product of particular person, group, art movement, period, or culture

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subtractive sculpture

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made by removing material from larger block or form

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symbol

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form or image implying something beyond obvious and immediate meaning

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tessera

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bits of colored glass, ceramic tile, or stone used in mosaic

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texture

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tactile quality of surface or representation of appearance of such surface quality

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tint

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hue with white added

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trompe l'oeil

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"fool the eye" en francais
2D representation that is so naturalistic it look real(3D)

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truss

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structural framework of wood or metal based on triangular system
used to span, reinforce, or support walls, ceilings, piers, beams

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tusche

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lithography
waxy substance used to draw or paint images on lithographic stone or plate

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two dimensional

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dimensions of only height and width

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three dimensional

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height, width, and depth

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unity

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appearance of similiarity, consistency, or oneness

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value

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lightness or darkness of tones or colors
aka tone
white is lightest, black darkest

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vertical placement

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placing an object above another in a composition to suggest depth in 2D.
above object seems farther

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warm colors

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red-violet, red, red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow

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wash

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thin, transparent layer of paint or ink

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woodcut

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type of relief print made from image that is left raised on block of wood

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allegory

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representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events
pictorial form

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ambulatory

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covered place for walking

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aqueduct

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bridgelike structure supporting canal

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burin

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steel cutting tool with sharp beveled point, used in engraving or carving stone

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cathedral

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large church

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choir

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the part of the church used by the choir

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clapboard

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long narrow board with one edge thicker, overlapped to cover outer walls of frame structures

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contour line

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outline of a figure

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drapery

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cloth or clothing gracefully arranged in loose folds

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facade

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principal face of a building

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fixative

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liquid preservative applied to charcoal drawings

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fluting

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decorative motif consisting of series of uniform , usually vertical flutes

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keystone

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central wedge-shaped stone of an arch that locks its parts together

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line

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thin continuous mark

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lith

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stone

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mandala

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any of various geometric designs symbolic of the universe and its powers
Hinduism and Buddhism

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manuscript

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book, document, or other composition written by hand

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matrix

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a metal plate used for casting typefaces

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nocturne

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painting of a night scene

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oculus

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round window or circular opening at apex of dome

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patina

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sheen on any surface produced by age

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pediment

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wide low-pitched gable surmounting front of a building
Greek

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pendentives

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triangular section of vaulting between rim of dome and each adjacent pair of arches that support it

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pilaster

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rectangular column with capital and base projecting only slightly from a wall as an ornamental motif

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sarcophagus

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stone coffin
often inscribed or decorated with stone sculpture

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sculptor

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one who produces sculptoral artwork

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sfumato

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blurring or softening of sharp outlines in painting

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tondo

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a round painting

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tooth

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rough surface

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transept

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transverse part of a cruciform church, crossing the nave at right angles

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voussoirs

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one of the wedge-shaped stones forming the curved parts of an arch or vaulted ceiling

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applied art

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application of design and aesthetics to objects of function and everyday use

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Ashlar masonry

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large rectangular blocks sculpted to have square edges and even faces
put together horizontally with mortar

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Book of Hours

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most common type of surviving medieval illuminated manuscript

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continuous narrative

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compositional technique that shows earlier and later parts of a story together in one scene as though they had happened at one time

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contour lines

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lines that define an edge

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front elevation

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facade or principal elevation of a building

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genre painting

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depicts aspects of everyday life by portraying ordinary people engaged in common activities

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gum Arabic

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binder in watercolor

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in situ

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latin phrase meaning "in the place"
construction carried out on building site using raw materials

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key block

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printmaking
primary or master block which contains main outlines of an image

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pulled print

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printmaking
to take or make as a proof or impression
hand presses being worked by pulling a lever

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section drawing

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scale drawing of a landscape as it would appear if cut by an intersecting plane so that the internal structure is displayed

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tenebrism

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meaning dark or gloomy