Decorative Arts (Frescoes and Techniques) Flashcards
What were frescoes?
Paintings made on wet plaster
Why were Mycenaean frescoes admired? [2]
- Use of colour
- Attention to fine detail
Where were frescoes found? [4]
- Palaces
- Houses
- Workshops
- Public buildings
How were frescoes made? [4]
- Thick layer of lime plaster on stone wall
- Add fine layer of plaster
- Use string to set out composition lines
- Paint colours (natural and manufactured) before plaster dries
Black was produced from…?
Carbon
Blue was produced from…?
A copper compound
Red was produced from…?
A mineral called haematite
White was produced from…?
Lime
Yellow was produced from…?
Ochre
Green was produced from…? [2]
- Mixing blue and yellow
- A mineral called malachite
Why was the colour blue impressive to use?
It was expensive as it did not occur naturally
Why were men portrayed with a red skin colour?
They were tanned as they spent more time outdoors (hunting, etc.)
Why were women portrayed with a white skin colour?
They spent more time indoors
What animal was yellow used for?
Lions
What animal was blue used for?
Monkeys
What mythical creatures were painted in frescoes? [2]
- Sphinxes
- Griffins
What was a pyxis?
[2]
- A small storage box made from wood and gold
- Used the repoussé and filigree techniques
What was repoussé?
Hammering into metalwork to create a relief image on the other side
What was filigree?
Twisting metal wires
What was inlay?
Heating a metal and laying it over another in an object
What was cloisonné?
Soldering a fine wire on to metal to be inlaid with gemstones or glass
What was granulation?
Dropping tiny beads of gold on to an object to give a spotted effect
