Chapter 1 Flashcards
Abstraction
The degree to which an image is altered from an easily recognizable subject
Academies
Institutions training artists in both the theory of art and practical techniques
Atmospheric perspective
Use of shades of and clarity to create the illusion of depth. Closer objects have warmer tones and clear outlines, while objects set further away are cooler and become hazy
Background
The part of a work depicted furthest from the viewer’s space, often behind the main subject matter
Baroque
European artistic and architectural style of the late sixteenth to early eighteenth century, characterized by extravagance and emotional intensity
Calligraphy
The art of emotive or carefully descriptive hand lettering or handwriting
Cast
A sculpture or artwork made by pouring a liquid (for example molten metal or plaster) into a mold
Ceramic
Fire-hardened clay, often painted, and normally sealed with a shiny protective coating
Composition
The overall design or organization of a work
Content
The meaning, message, or feeling expressed in a work of art
Context
Circumstances surrounding the creation of a work of art, including historical events, social conditions, biographical facts about the artist, and his or her intentions
Contrast
A drastic difference between such elements as color or value (lightness/darkness) when they are presented together.
Emphasis
The principle of drawing attention to a particular content within a work
Focal point
The center of interest or activity in a work of art, often drawing the viewer’s attention to the most important element
Foreground
The part of a work depicted as nearest to the viewer
Form
An object that can be defined in three dimensions (height, width, and depth)
Formal
In art, refers to the visual elements and principles in a work
Geometric
Predictable and mathematical
Graphical design
The use of images, typography, and technology to communicate ideas for a client or to a particular audience
Guilds
Medieval association of artists, craftsmen, or tradesmen
Implied Line
A line not actually drawn but suggested by elements in the work
In situ
In the location for which it was originally made
Logo
A graphic image used to identify an idea or entity
Manuscripts
Handwritten texts
Medieval
Relating to the Middle Ages; roughly, between the fall of the Roman Empire and the start of the Renaissance
Medium (plural media)
The material on or from which an artist chooses to make a work of art
Middle ground
The part of a work between the foreground and the background
Monumental
Having massive or impressive scale
Non-objective, non-objectivity
Art that does not depict a recognizable subject
Oil Paint
Paint made of pigment suspended in oil
Organic
Having irregular forms and shapes, as though derived from living organisms
Patron
An organization or individual who sponsors the creation of works of art
Renaissance
A period of culture and artistic change in Europe from the fourteenth century to the seventeenth century
Romantic/ Romanticism
Movement in nineteenth century European culture, concerned with the power of the imagination and greatly valuing intense feeling
Scale
The size of an object or artwork relative to another object or artwork, or to a system of measurement
Space
The distance between identifiable points or planes
Style
A characteristic way in which an artist or group of artists uses visual language to give a work and identifiable form of visual expression
Subject Matter, subject
The person, object, or space depicted in a work of art
Tempera
Fast-drying painting medium made from pigment mixed with water-soluble binder, such as egg yolk
Texture
The surface quality of a work, for example fine/coarse, detailed/ lacking in detail
Two-dimensional
Having height and width
Value
The lightness or darkness of a plane or area
