test 1 vocab. & general info Flashcards
abstract
- describes forms that do not accurately depict real objects
- artist may be attempting to convey the essence of an object rather than its actual appearance
- glossary definition: in painting or sculpture, having a generalized or essential form with only a symbolic resemblance to natural objects
archaic style
- painting technique used is black-figure
- monumental sculpture of human figures first appear, influenced by Egyptians
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archaic time period
c. 600-480 B.C.
black-figure painting example
(page 88)
- artists painted the figures in black silhouettes with slips made of clay and water.
- details were added with with sharp tool, exposing orange clay beneath.
- vase is then baked in a kiln in three different stages.
- final result is the oxidization process: turns surface reddish-orange and painted areas black
cannon of proportions
- commonly accepted guidelines for depicting the ideal human figure by specifying the relationships of the parts of the body to one another to the whole
- vary from culture to culture and have evolved over time
example: based on the old kingdom canon as it was used at saqqara during the reign of Zoser
carve
- a subtractive sculptural technique in which the sculptor uses a sharp instrument (such as knife, gouge, or chisel) to remove material from a hard surface (bone, wood, or stone).
- after the image is shaped, it can be sanded, filed, or polished
caryatid
a supporting column in post-and-lintel construction carved to represent a human (generally female) figure
classical style
- shows red-figure technique and more naturalistic
- EARLY classical
- produced radical changes in the approach to the human figure
- the best example of this: Kritos Boy
- widespread change from marble to bronze for large-scale sculptures
- “lost-wax” process
- produced radical changes in the approach to the human figure
- HIGH Classical
- “golden age” of greek art
- art reflects cultural and intellectual achievements of Greece
- artists idealized human form. figures are usually young, nicely proportioned and symmetrical. but lack personality and expression
classical time period
c. 480-400 B.C.
early: c. 480-450 B.C.
late: c. 450-400 B.C.
colonnade
series of columns set at regular intervals, usually supporting arches or an entabluature.
contrapposto (or counterpoise)
a stance of the human body in which one leg bears the weight while the other is relaxed, creating an asymmetry in the hip-shoulder axis
corinthian order (base, column, and capital)
base: circular, looks like it has three layers
column: used mainly in interiors by the greeks- associated w/ luxury and “feminine” character. curved with vertical indentions from top to bottom
capital: elegant, curved like it is in layers
cromlech
- neolithic megalith
- megalithic structures in which groups of menhirs form circles or semicircles
- clearly marked sacred spaces
glossary definition: a prehistoric monument consisting of a circle of monoliths
dolmen
- neolithic megalith
- chambers/enclosures consisting of two or more vertical stones supporting a large single stone, much as legs support a table
- imbued by neolthic people w symbolic associations
- the first dolmens were tombs. they were later turned into passageways. some decorated with carvings, others were painted.
glossary definition: a prehistoric structure consisting of two or more megaliths capped with a horizontal slab
doric order (base, column, capital)
- base: three steps
- column: spacy (??)
- capital: three elements
- necking- snug band at the top of the shaft
- echinos- above necking; flat, curved element with rounded sides (like a plate)
- abacus- flat, square; formed by the echinos transition between the curved shaft to this.
geometric style
- characterized by rectilinear, meander patterns
- best known for pottery and small-scale scultpures
- painting and pottery: meander patterns
geometric time period
c. 1000-700 B.C.
hellenistic style
shows white-ground painting technique
hellenistic time period
450-323 BC
hierarchical scale (or hierarchical proportion)
the representation of more important figures as larger than less important ones
ionic order (base, column, and capital)
- base: round base w/ an alternating convex and concave profile
- column: curved, has vertical indentions like corinthian, but they are not as frequent.. are more spread out
- capital: two swirls, elegant also
kore/korai
- greek for “girl” archaic sculptures of standing women
- generally represent votive figures of girls who serve Athena
kouros
- greek word for “youth” archaic life-size statues of standing males
- ex. of appearance: (pg. 91)
- maintains standard egyptian frontal pose.
- left leg extended forward w/ no bend at the knee, hips or waist.
- arms are at side. fists clenched and elbows turned back.
- sculptor makes changes to emphasize human anatomy.
- kouros is cut away from the original block of marble, leaving open spaces between the arms and body and between the legs.
lost wax technique
- lost wax bronze casting (aka cireperdue)
- a technique for casting bronze and other metals
meander pattern
a fret or key pattern originating from the Greek geometric period
megalith
a large, undressed stone used in the construction of prehistoric monuments
menhir
- neolithic megalith
- unhewn or slightly shaped single stones, usually standing upright in the ground
glossary: a prehistoric monolith standing alone or grouped with other stones
monolith
a large block of stone that is all in one piece used in megalithic structures
naos
the inner sanctuary of an ancient greek temple; main room
naturalistic
a style of art seeking to represent objects as they actually appear in nature
neolithic period
- (c. 6000/4000-2000 BC)
- Stonehenge
orientalizing style
- shapes become larger and more curvilinear
- shows influences of eastern art and, around the same time, monumental sculptures began to develop
paintings and pottery: shapes become larger and more curvilinear than those in Geometric style, and geometric patterns are regulated to borders of the main image
orientalizing time period
c. 700-600 B.C.
paleolithic
- (c. 1,500,000-8,000 BC)
- Venus of Willendorf and Lion Panel
pigment
- the basis of color, which is the most eye-catching aspect of most paintings.
- a powdered substance that is used to give color to paints, inks, and dyes
- organic form of powdered substance: plants or animal matter
- inorganic: minerals and semiprecious stones
post-and-lintel construction
an architectural system in which upright members, or posts, support horizontal members or lintels
praxitilean curve
- term used to describe leading Athenian sculptor Praxitiles’ sculpture, Aphrodite of Knidos
- gentle S-shape, that outlines the stance of the statue
what are the three greek orders?
- doric, ionic, and corinthion
- architectural systems used by the Greeks and Romans to decorate and define the post-and-lintel system of construction
white ground painting technique
style of pottery painting in which the decorations are usually black on a white background.
red figure technique
style of pottery painting in which the decorating is red on a black background.
