LC Art flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Contrapposto
- A classical pose in which the figure's weight rests on one leg, shifting hips and shoulders into opposition. It creates a naturalistic S-curve and signals Greek influence.
- Sfumato
- Leonardo da Vinci's technique of blending tones so subtly that edges appear smoky and soft. It creates atmospheric depth and lifelike modeling in paintings.
- Tenebrism
- An extreme form of chiaroscuro using a dark background and a single dramatic light source. Caravaggio popularized it to heighten emotional intensity.
- Hierarchical scale
- A compositional convention in which the most important figure is largest, regardless of spatial logic. It appears in Egyptian, Near Eastern, and medieval art.
- Linear perspective
- A system using a horizon line and vanishing points so parallel lines converge, creating an illusion of depth. Brunelleschi formalized it in the Renaissance.
- Ukiyo-e
- Japanese woodblock prints depicting floating-world subjects such as actors, courtesans, and landscapes. Hokusai and Hiroshige are famous practitioners.
- Calligraphy
- The art of beautiful writing, central to Islamic, Chinese, and Japanese traditions. In Islamic art it often replaces figural imagery in religious settings.
- Lost-wax casting
- A bronze-casting method in which a wax model is melted out of a mold and replaced by molten metal. Used for Benin bronzes and Greek sculpture.
- Intaglio printing
- A printmaking process in which lines are incised below the plate surface and hold ink. Etching, engraving, and drypoint are intaglio techniques.
- Buon fresco
- Painting with pigment on wet lime plaster so the image bonds with the wall. It is durable but must be applied quickly before drying.
- Feldman method
- A four-step art criticism process: description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation. It moves from observable facts to justified judgment.
- Iconography
- The identification and study of subject matter and symbols in art, such as halos or lilies. Iconology then interprets their cultural meaning.
- Formalism
- An aesthetic approach judging art primarily by formal qualities like line, color, and composition. It downplays context and subject matter.
- Visual literacy
- The ability to interpret and create meaning from images by decoding composition, symbols, and cultural conventions. It is central to responding to art.
- Male gaze
- Laura Mulvey's term for visual representation that positions women as objects of a heterosexual male viewer. It analyzes power in looking.
- Negative space
- The empty or surrounding area around and between subjects. It shapes figure-ground relationships and can carry expressive weight.
- Chiaroscuro
- The use of strong contrasts between light and dark to model form and create drama. It is a defining feature of Baroque painting.
- Complementary colors
- Hues opposite each other on the color wheel, such as red and green. Placed together they intensify; mixed they neutralize toward gray.
- Pointillism
- Seurat's technique of applying small dots of pure color that blend optically at a distance. It is a form of Neo-Impressionism.
- Readymade
- Marcel Duchamp's term for an ordinary manufactured object presented as art, such as a urinal. It challenged authorship and craft.
- Action painting
- A form of Abstract Expressionism in which paint is dripped, splashed, or poured to record the artist's gesture. Jackson Pollock is the key figure.
- Pop Art
- A movement appropriating imagery from advertising, comics, and mass culture. Warhol and Lichtenstein blurred art and consumer culture.
- Baroque
- A European style c. 1600–1750 emphasizing drama, movement, and theatrical light. Bernini, Caravaggio, and Rubens exemplify it.
- Gothic architecture
- A medieval style using pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses to allow tall, light-filled churches with stained glass.
- Illuminated manuscript
- A handwritten book decorated with gold leaf, painted initials, and miniature scenes. The Book of Kells is a famous Insular example.
- Rococo
- An 18th-century style featuring pastel colors, asymmetry, and playful curves. Watteau and Fragonard painted its aristocratic leisure scenes.
- Impressionism
- A French movement using broken brushstrokes and plein-air light effects. Monet, Renoir, and Degas exhibited together in the 1870s.
- Ukiyo-e influence
- Japonisme describes European fascination with Japanese woodblock prints, which inspired flat color and cropped compositions in Impressionism.
- Arabesque
- An Islamic ornamental pattern of intertwined plant and geometric motifs. It fills surfaces without focal points or figural imagery.
- Venus of Willendorf
- A small Paleolithic limestone figurine with exaggerated female features, dated c. 28,000 BCE. It is often interpreted as a fertility symbol.
- Mosaic
- An image made from small colored stones or glass tesserae set in mortar. Byzantine churches used gold-ground mosaics for sacred effect.
- Assemblage
- A three-dimensional work made by combining found objects and materials. It is an additive, construction-based sculptural process.