Final Flashcards
Apotheosis
the elevation of a deceased emperor to divine honours.
Decursio
Counter clockwise calvary procession at the death of an emperor
Crucifixion (Latin Cross)
Cross axis symbolizes the crucifixion of Christ
Eucharist
Ceremony where believer eats bread and drinks wine as a means of connecting themselves to Christ (body & blood)
Temptation
Adam and Eve were the first man and woman on Earth and were created by God. While they lived in the Garden of Eden for a time, they ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and were forced to leave.
Typology
The old testament is the prefiguration of the new testament.
Interpret Old testament stories, always tying back to Christianity
Syncretism
The worship of multiple mystery religions simultaneously
Jonah and the Whale
Whale eats Jonah then 3 days later Jonah is thrown up by the whale alive.
Prefiguration of Christ’s resurrection.
Good Shepherd
Christ in the New Testament, King David in the Old Testament (example of typology)
Daniel in the Lion’s Den
Daniel is miraculously saved from lion’s den by Christ
Heraldic Image
Hero is placed in center of image and is flanked by animals or enemies on either side.
Animals symbolize paradise, enemies symbolize harassment of hero.
Confronted Animals
Mirror copies of one another.
Often in heraldic images.
Orant
Praying figure.
Signative gesture
Refers to Christ’s crucifixion.
Signative Art
Consists of signs or symbols
Phrygian Cap
Like a santa’s hat.
Signifies someone from the near east.
Pannonian Cap
Popular around the year 300 and after. Signifies pagans or soldiers.
Basilica
A large public building, rectangular in plan, normally featuring a nave flanked by aisles, and an apse
Nave
Main room of the longitudinal building
Side Aisles
Flank the nave
Apse
Semicircular shape protruding from the wall that would be crowned with a half dome
Narthex
Groin vaulted covered porch
Clerestory
Lets light in
Groin Vault
A vault produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel (tunnel) vaults
Pastiche
A conglomeration of sculptures from different moments/periods in Roman History
Chi Rho
First 2 letters of Christ’s name in greek. Constantine sees this symbol in a dream when going into battle in 312.
Thinks the symbol will secure his victory. Puts the symbol onto flag for soldiers in battle.
Makes soldiers Christian.
Edict of Milan
313 CE
Legalizes Christianity
and allows people to practice Christianity without fear of persecution
Sol Invictus (The Invincible Sun)
Sol Invictus was the official sun god of the late Roman Empire and a later version of the god Sol.
Hand of God
Hand moving forth from an arc. Arc signifies heavens. Comes from jewish representations of God.
Congiarium
Iconographic trope of emperor throwing coins. Showering of coins to your people as a reward for their support
Tondo
A circular painting, relief carving, plaque, or mural design.
Isocephaly
Lining up of heads in a row.
Characteristic of late antique abstraction.
Traditio Legis
The passing of the the law. Christ handing the law to Peter (who Christ designated as the leader of the Church)
Vintaging and Harvesting Scenes
Scenes of Bacchus. Making wine and harvesting crops.
Atrium
Square forecourt
Apocalypse
2nd coming of Christ
Arcade
Row of arches
Nave elevation
Collonade surmounted by an entablature. Middle zone contains pictorial art, Mosiacs, or wall paintings.
Upper level is the clerestory.
Timber Roof
Roof of an Early Christian basilica
Transcept
Cross axis where the nave terminates. Symbolizes the crucifixion.
Where shrine would be located (Ciborium)
Triumphal Arch
At end of nave.
Signifies the triumph of Christianity
Chancel Screens
Hip high wall that separates the clergy from the laity (people who aren’t in the clergy). Can be used for the choir
Ciborium
A receptacle shaped like a shrine or a cup with an arched cover, used in the Christian Church for the reservation of the Eucharist
Mausoleum
Funerary Buildings for Emperors and Empresses. Centrally planned. Circularity signifies death/rebirth
Scatter Mosaic
Technique where objects are scattered throughout the negative space.
Emphasizes 2 dimensionality.
Concha
Seashell motif. Originated in the myth of the birth of Venus. Overtones of creation and fertility
Papyrus
Plant grows on the nile and is used to form paper.
Works in Egypt because of lack of humidity but falls apart in humid climates
Parchment
Created by flaying an animal, skinning it, soaking the skin in a caustic bath to remove the hair, then stretching on a frame and scraping with a knife with a curved blade.
Scribe
People who wrote/copied manuscripts
Folio
Parchment is cut into rectangular strips (usually 4 in all), which are then folded to create 8 pages
Recto
The front side of a folio
Verso
The back side of a folio
Pricking
Scribe uses a spiked wheel and runs it up the parchment to create evenly space, ruled lines and margins, thus preparing the book for writing
Scoring
Marking pages with a bone folder to make them easier to fold
Exemplar
That which is copied (manuscript)
Classicism
Revival of earlier classical antique. Revival of classical style. Patrons of classicizing art are pagans
Tituli
Little inscription identifying content in manuscript
Rustic Capitals
Script used in illuminated manuscripts.
Vertical orientation.
Letters look “squeezed”
Ductus
the shape of letters
Continuous Narration
Artists trying to represent a story or narrative. Stories unfold through the passage of time. Showing two different moments of a story within a frame to portray the passage of time
Aedicule
Niche or recess inserted into a wall. Indicates that someone important is sitting below it
Tabula ansata
architectural framework holding an inscription identifying the patron on a consular diptych
Mappa
Folded handkerchief which was waved by the council when the games began
Sella Curulis
seat of a magistrate
Victoriola
Little victory, personifications
Venatio
Hunting scenes
Clippeated image
Figures contained within circles. Figure in the circle is typically divine
Late Antiquity/Early Christian
175-475 CE, if content is pagan the period is Late Antique, if content is Christian the period is Early Christian