Glossary

In some way or ways deviating from or ignoring the appearance of the natural world, simplifying or altering it for effect

Deviations from the appearance of the natural world, simplifications or alterations of it for effect

the raised, sacred precinct of ancient Athens

In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the first man, directly created by God

Containing allegory, a work of art or literature that implies a non-literal meaning, often with moral or political importance

Colors next to one another on the color wheel

the region extending from Turkey in the east to Israel in the west, and centered on a series of civilizations that flourished in what are now Iran and Iraq from the fourth through the first millennium BCE

avoiding the creation and use of figural images, especially of deities or other religious figures

the practice of avoiding the creation or use of images, esp. figural images and images of deities

believing that inanimate elements of the world and universe, like objects and plants, have spirits or souls

having human qualities

The ancient past, especially ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome

Formal, legal discrimination against members of a particular race or races, especially in South Africa, 1948 to ca. 1990.

in ancient Greek myth, the goddess of beauty, love, and sex; equivalent to the Roman Venus

In art, using of existing images by another artist or from another context within a new work of art, often in order to comment on the artist or culture of the original work

In art, the use of existing images by another artist or from another context within a new work of art, often in order to comment on the artist or culture of the original work

A person who lives a very simple, austere life, usually to achieve spiritual goals

The property of an image where its two sides do not mirror each other, but still have approximately the same visual weight, the same amount of detail or shapes or color, and so on

According to the doctrine of monism followed by some Hindu groups, the eternal self within an individual, somewhat like a soul

The simulation in a work of art of the optical effect that makes objects in the distance appear paler, bluer, and less detailed than objects that are close to us

early color photographs

the leading edge, the new and exciting

in Hinduism, a particular manifestation of a deity; also, in online spaces, the form taken by a person interacting in such spaces

General term for two ancient Iranian languages, OId and Younger Avestan

line running down the center of a figure

The portion of the image that appears to be furthest from the viewer

An even use of elements throughout a work

West African country and culture, known for exceptional work in bronze

Medieval books of beasts that usually augment the natural history of animals with symbolic and spiritual meanings

Symmetry wherein two sides of an image mirror one another

ancient Greek pottery style in which figures are colored with black glaze, against a background of the reddish color of unpainted terracotta clay

Known as Daruma in Japanese, the founder of Zen Buddhism. Accounts of his life are largely legendary, with few details known to be accurate. A popular subject for art and literature

In Buddhism, a figure who is able to enter Nirvana, the Buddhist afterlife which represents escape from all earthly suffering, but chooses to remain behind to help other people on their journey toward Nirvana

The middle class, especially the prosperous and materialistic middle class

In Hinduism, the infinite and unbounded power that sustains the universe. Also, a member of the highest Hindu caste

Literally, "the awakened," the title given to Siddhartha Gautama, founder of Buddhism, a prince you rejected his wealth in favor of a life of simple contemplation aimed at escape from endless cycles of reincarnation and into Nirvana, release from all suffering

a follower of the religion of Buddhism

an image of a person depicting the head, shoulders, and upper chest only

Period from the sack of Rome (fifth century) through the fall of Constantinople (1453)

a set of works (art, literature, music, theater, film, etc) considered by experts or the general public to be classic, major, influential, etc. These are the works that generally appear in introductory textbooks, though throughout this book, I have tried to move beyond the standard canonical works.

architectural element at the top of a column or pillar that generally widens its form in order to help support a lintel or arch above

In Catholicism and Anglicanism, a church housing the bishop's "cathedra," the throne that signifies their authority, and serves as the administrative center of a see (the area ruled by a bishop)

a Jewish holiday, traditionally minor, celebrating the retaking and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 165 BCE by the Maccabees following desecration by Syrians, lasting eight days, starting on the 25th day of the month of Kislev. Celebrated by lighting a menorah, a candelabra with eight branches and a usually-central Shamash candle

covered in gold and ivory

in the ancient world, an independent political unit consisting of a city and the agricultural land immediately around it

a work composed out of pieces cut out from preexisting works or materials

The light reflecting off objects, divided into hue, value and intensity

in architecture, a cylindrical, vertical member, usually supporting a lintel or arch

an order for a specific work of art to be main according to the desires of the patron (the person making the commission)

A political and economic theory developed by Karl Marx that advocates for public ownership of all property and industry so that all people, especially the working class, can share in profits

Colors opposite one another on the color wheel

How the visual elements of a work of art relate to each other

Based on or following Confucius, highly influential Chinese philosopher, 550-479 BCE

the circumstances around a work, idea, event, etc.

lines that define shapes

Literally, "counter-balanced," a pose used in for human figures, developed in Ancient Greece, where the figure's weight is supported by one leg, while the other is loosely bent, resulting in an S-curve throughout the body

The amount of variation between the highest and lowest values in a work of art

Colors from green to purple on the color wheel

the study of the origins of the universe

An explanation of the origins of the world and universe

cut down, often to shift or increase emphasis

the use of closely spaced grids of lines to create the illusion of shadow

An ancient Roman method of execution by being hung or nailed to a large wooden cross and left exposed to the elements to die of thirst and hunger, or via suffocation caused by weakness that prevents the drawing of breath; most famously, the method of execution used on Jesus, the founder of Christianity, though many accounts say that while hung on a cross, he was stabbed in the side before dying of crucifixion, itself

Art style that depicts forms as if from multiple perspectives at once. The images are often fragmented and disjointed, and it is up to the viewer to assemble them mentally into a cohesive image

turned into a god

concentration of objects or details

a rounded architectural feature shaped like half of a sphere

arches topped by arches

The period from the life of Jesus (first century) to the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine (fourth century), who legalized Christianity throughout the empire

Techniques used to draw attention to one or more points in a work

pigment suspended in hot wax and used as paint

columns partially embedded in a wall

In Buddhism, the state achieved by the Buddha, and the goal of Buddhists, characterized by deep understanding of the self and of the world around it

A short memorial in memory of a person who has died, often written on a tombstone

The front face of a building

film genre, esp. of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, shot in black and white, characterized by a gritty or even harsh mood and cynical characters, often involving complex crime stories

See here

Sections of texts, films, videos, etc., that take place before the main timeline of the narrative

From Flanders, a country that once occupied territory centered on what is now Belgium

resembling plants, esp. plant leaves and vines

The portion of the image that appears to be closest to the viewer

The property of a three-dimensional object; also used to describe the illusion of three-dimensionality

see: visual elements

Smoothly curving lines of varying thickness that outline forms in art of Pacific Northwest Coast Indigenous art, and the most important visual element of this artistic style

art comprised of pre-existing, often ordinary or manufactured objects

paint mixed with wet plaster and applied directly to a wall surface

see Fresco

showing the front of a figure or object as fully facing the picture plane

In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the site of the creation of Adam and Eve, a beautiful and abundant paradise

in art, based on feminist theory: a specific, gendered, sexualizing look from a straight man at a woman, conveying an imbalance of power

the performance of characteristics culturally associated with male and female sexes; increasingly acknowledged as a fluid spectrum rather than a fixed binary

scenes from everyday life, usually with a focus on the lives of the lower or working classes

characterized by straight lines and smooth curves of the sort found in mathematical geometry

covered in gold

oil paints with little pigment in them

the four fundamental Christian texts, attributed to Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, telling overlapping (and at times conflicting) accounts of the background, life, death, and teachings of Jesus

a fusion of the cultures of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, led by Roman scholars from the first century CE through the third century CE.

Generally improvised or unplanned artistic events and performances, frequently involving audience participation

relating to Hasidism, a mystical Jewish movement beginning in the 18th century

closely spaced lines used to create an illusion of shadow

Ancient Greek period from the death of Alexander the great in 323 B.C.E. to the rule of Augustus, first emperor of Rome in 31 B.C.E. Characterized by exaggerated forms and emotions

in ancient Greek myth, the son of Hermes and Aphrodite. He eventually merges with the nymph Salmacis, so that they dwell together in a single body with male and female characteristics

in Greek mythology, the messenger god

A type of scale based on relative importance, in which more important figures are represented as larger than less important figures around them

Bright elements of an image that often draw the viewer's attention

Oldest practiced religion in the world, originating in India. Hinduism has tens or even hundreds of thousands of gods, and no single set of beliefs or laws regarding them, but rather, celebrates pluralism.

the time period after the development of writing

paintings that show grand events from history

The divide in an image between sky and land or sea

an image of a saint or other holy figure from Christian mythology, usually presented against a gold background and thereby separated from any specific contexts or moments from their lives

literally, "image breakers," used in Byzantine art history to describe people who wanted to eliminate all religious icons in order to follow the Second Commandment.

Literally "picture-writing," the recognizable forms in images, often with symbolic meanings. Also used to describe the study of such images and their meanings

literally, "image lovers," used in Byzantine art history to describe people who fought to continue the use of religious icons

represented not as is, but according to a culture's belief about what the ideal form would be, eg. the form of the human body. Ideals change over time, and vary from culture to culture.

an image designed to be inhabited by a deity

A handmade, hand-written book with decorations and/or illustrations

An artist responsible for adding images and decoration in manuscripts

lines that are not actually drawn in an image, but can be inferred, such as the sight lines of figures in a work

straight or smoothly, evenly curving lines found in geometric diagrams, and not common in nature

How bright or dull a color is

A card containing text, used in silent films to convey dialogue and information

Shinto shrines of the Japanese Imperial House

Placing images, texts, or other content side-by-side in order to generate comparisons and contrasts

A structure in Mecca believed by Muslims to be the house Abraham, the Jewish patriarch, erected for God

literally "dried-up mountain-waterscape," a form of Japanese rock garden

literally "withered mountain-water," a form of Japanese rock garden

the process by which viewers of films make connections between sequential shots, even when they may have nothing to do with one another. Named for Russian film-maker Lev Kuleshov

a wide, shallow Ancient Greek drinking cup

An image where the main subject is the natural world, itself, rather than people or other figures doing something in the world

one who rejects commonly held moral or ethical principles, especially about sex and sexuality; the property of one who does so

A path either represented or implied

A technique used to create the illusion of three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional image, achieved by drawing or implying a series of lines that all converge on one or more vanishing points

see Lingum

In Hinduism, an object used in the worship of Shiva; a smooth, round-topped cylinder often considered a phallic symbol

a horizontal member placed on top of two vertical posts, as in rectangular doorways

Murder by a mob, usually by hanging and usually of a person or people, with the excuse of purported crimes or offenses, but without a trial to determine guilt. Lynchings were a central element of white supremacist campaigns of terror

An image using geometrical layout to represent the universe, especially in Buddhism and Hinduism

a full-body halo

a mission statement

A handmade, hand-written book

The central ritual of some forms of Christianity, in which wine and bread or wafers are consumed; some groups see these as a symbol of Christ's blood and body, while others believe them to be miraculously transformed into his actual blood and body

A piece of paper or card stock used to support, frame, or embellish a work of are when framed

the materials used to make works of art, such as oil paint, marble, and steel

European era ranging from ca. 500-1500 CE

eight-branched candlesticks used in the celebration of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah

European period running from approximately 400 or 500 CE through 1400 or 1500 CE, depending on location

in Islam, a niche in the wall of a mosque that faces toward the Ka'ba in Mecca and therefore indicates the direction of prayer

Rule by a single individual, usually a king or queen, and usually based on inherited titles

The buildings in which a community of monks living under religious vows

A man who has taken religious vows and lives in a monastery

believing in one deity

A film technique where various clips are spliced together to create meanings and/or effects

large, massive

An image composed of thousands of small pieces of glass, tile, or stone embedded in plaster

lines used to create a sense of movement in an image

A sense of motion as the eye is guided through a work

a story

Making an image look like the “real world”

Of works of art, to display naturalism, that is, to look like the actual world

a people and language of Zimbabwe and adjacent regions of South Africa

literally, "city of the dead," a district set aside for burials

the empty area around a form or forms in a work of art

From the Greek words for “new stone,” the period of prehistory following the Paleolithic, and running from the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago, and accompanied by the development of agriculture

In Buddhism, the end of cycles of reincarnation and a release from all desires and the resulting suffering

A work of art with no depiction of anything, also called total abstraction

definition

historically, a female concubine or sexual slave in a harem, esp. of the Sultan of Turkey. Also, a frequent subject for Orientalist painting

all the works an artist produces throughout their career

Well-known premodern European artists, especially those living in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries

the property of being regular, clear, repeating, or otherwise structured

loose, curving, irregular lines like those found in nature

term for 19th-century European scholars who studied Asian cultures; also used to describe the approach of such scholars. Widely condemned in more recent post-colonial scholarship as racist and sexist.

The direction a map faces at its top. The term comes from medieval Christian mapmaking practices, which usually put the east ("orient" in Greek) at the top

Lines that meet at the vanishing point in linear perspective

rounded-off rectangles in Pacific Northwest Indigenous art

showing brushstrokes

From the Greek words for “old stone,” the period of prehistory from approximately 2.6 million years ago (when the earliest stone tools were developed by our evolutionary ancestors) until about 10,000 years ago, ending along with the last ice age and accompanied by the development of agriculture in the Neolithic (“new stone”) period.

all the deities of a people or religion; literally "all gods"

The male head of a family or tribe, especially used to describe biblical figures

a person commissioning a work of art to be made and paying for it

Paying for the creation of works of art; a person who provides patronage is called a patron

Repeating an object or element evenly throughout a work or a part of a work

the triangular section, often filled with sculpture, at the top of the facade of a building, esp. an ancient Greek temple

in art, a system to create an illusion of three-dimensional space in a two-dimensional medium

resembling male genitals

an object or image standing in for male genitals

collages made out of photographs, often from popular newspapers and magazines

Travel to holy sites or people

travelers whose travels have a religious purpose; often, pilgrims travel to holy sites

a painting with many panels

believing in multiple gods

images of known individuals, often drawn from life (that is, with the person posing for the portrait)

sections of works of art occupied by forms and shapes

a space in religious architecture, generally large and open, where worshippers congregate for prayer

of any culture, before (or without) a written form of language

Colors from which all other colors can be made

a couple seen as the first people, and the source of humanity, a trope common to many religions

The working class

The relationship of parts of a body or form to one another and of the parts to the whole, for example, the size of the head of a figure in relation to the entire body

A volume containing the biblical Book of the Psalms

the area on a body containing pubic hair and external genitals

literally "wind and water" in Korean, the Korean adaptation of the Daoist Chinese concept of feng shui, an approach to the location, orientation, and design of architectural forms to facilitate the positive flow of qi [energy]

winged cherubs or cupids

The holy book of Islam

arranged around a central point

The property of an image that is symmetrical around a central point or axis, like a sunflower viewed head-on

The property of images that represent the gritty or harsh realities of the world

An image, model, or full-scale replica of a damaged or lost work of art or architecture

ancient Greek pottery style in which figures are left the reddish color of unpainted terracotta clay, against a glazed black background

Formal, often elaborate ceremonial clothing

Horizontal bands of imagery or decoration

being reborn into a new body after death

The remains of a holy person, or items of great religious significance

see "relic"

a container for relics, which are the remains of a holy figure, or items of importance to them

literally "rebirth," most commonly used to describe the European artistic and intellectual movement of ca. 1300-1600, characterized by revived interest in the styles and subjects of ancient Greece and Rome

Similar to pattern, repeating an object or element throughout a work or a part of a work, but generally less precise or formal than a pattern

Art containing an image of something, as opposed to pure abstraction

A visual tempo set by repeating elements in a work

An eighteenth-century art form, especially in France, Germany, and Austria, characterized by light, breezy, cheerful, and sentimental imagery, often of wealthy people (or the rural poor depicted as if wealthy) playing in nature

A substantially damaged work of architecture, usually unable to continue to serve its original purpose

Highly influential theologian and bishop of the North African city of Hippo from 396 to 430 CE

in ancient Greek myth, a nymph who lusted after Hermaphrodite, whose name indicates his parentage -- he is the son of Hermes and Aphrodite. She eventually merges with Hermaphrodite so that they dwell together in a single body with male and female characteristics

How bright or dull a color is

The relationship of parts of an image to the image as a whole, or to something in the world outside of the image, for example, the size of the figure of a king in an image as compared to the size of the figure of his servant in the same image, or the size of a statue of the king as compared to the size of an actual person

One who pens the text of manuscripts (Latin for "written by hand")

sacred religious texts

Colors made by mixing two primary colors

Value produced by adding black to a hue

The use of darker colors or lines to create the illusion of shadows

religion practice in which shamans are believed to connect with the spirit world in order to learn about or have an influence on this world

The property of a two-dimensional form, usually defined by a line around it

In Hinduism, one of the main deities

military dictatorship of Japan, 1192–1867, under the nominal control of the emperor

literally "pictures of spring," Japanese woodblock prints, esp. ca. 17th-19th centuries, though also later, that feature explicit sexual content

lines that follow the direction of a figure's gaze

Austrian founder of psychoanalysis, a process used to treat mental disturbances, often through the uncovering of unconsciously held thoughts and fears

produced with a printing technique in which the negative of an image transferred to a fine screen, through which ink is forced to produce positive image

the subject of a portrait

in architecture, a supporting member projecting from a wall

Depth, real or represented, as well as the general area within a work

artistic or architectural elements reused from previous works, often displayed clearly in order to convey political or religious conquest

an upright stone marker

Images of objects, generally without human or animal figures

Designed according to the principles of a particular style rather than being beholden to the way things look in “the real world.”

Japanese painting done in black ink

Japanese woodblock prints generally containing images and poetry, privately commissioned in small runs to celebrate special occasions

religious text in Buddhism and Jainism; also religious law in Hinduism

Usually used to describe bilateral symmetry, which is a mirroring of two halves of a work, or radial symmetry, where an image is symmetrical around a central point or axis, like a sunflower viewed head-on

in the ancient world, a dinner party centered on wine drinking, with conversation on a chosen theme, and often ending in a sexual orgy

in East Sepik culture of Papua New Guinea, elaborately decorated “Men’s House" structures used for communal rituals

pigment suspended in egg yolk and then used as paint

an elaborate ancient city in the Valley of Mexico

Colors made by mixing a primary color with an adjacent secondary color

The feeling of a surface, real or represented

This means the very thing that I'm talking about here!

Value produced by adding white to a hue

a round format for two-dimensional works of art, esp. paintings

a hairstyle where the top of the head is shaved as a marker of having taken the vows of a Christian monk

In Buddhism, tall stone gateways

related to totems, objects of power; also, symbolic of qualities or concepts

a painting with three panels, hinged together so that the outer panels, or wings, can be closed over the central panel

a semicircular sculptural panel over a doorway

literally "pictures of the floating world," Japanese woodblock prints, ca. 17th-19th centuries that focus on the lively activities of the red-light district of Edo (now Kyoto), including sumo wrestlers, geishas, and actors

The use of similar elements so that all the parts of a work fit together well

ancient Hindu sacred Sanskrit texts

Belief that a perfect state is possible

The degree of lightness or darkness of a color

Point on the horizon line where orthogonal lines meet in linear perspective

The use of different visual elements throughout a work

architectural elements consisting of a weight-bearing, arched roof, usually in stone

animal skin, usually calf or sheep, used as a support for writing; also called parchment

in ancient Roman myth, the goddess of beauty, love, and sex; equivalent to the Greek Aphrodite

The highest degree of naturalism

Germanic peoples of Spain, from the late classical through the early medieval periods

The process of breaking down works of art into their parts (such as line, color, balance, and symmetry), figuring out how they relate to one another, and considering their effects of viewers.

Line, Shape, Color, Space, Form, Texture

three-dimensional space or shape

one who finds sexual pleasure in viewing naked people, people engaged in sex, etc., esp. if those viewed are unaware of the viewer's presence

Japanese term for the appreciation of a simple, even austere lifestyle, often reflected in art

Colors from yellow to violet on the color wheel

a form of printmaking where a wooden block is carved in reverse, inked, and then pressed into paper to create an image

a form of printmaking where a wooden block is carved in reverse, inked, and then pressed into paper to create an image

a printmaking process were a negative image is carved into a wooden block which is then inked and pressed onto a surface, usually paper, to create a positive image

the monotheistic god of Judaism, also shared by Christianity and Islam

male benevolent minor deities common in Indian belief and found in both Buddhist and Hindu art

female benevolent minor deities common in Indian belief and found in both Buddhist and Hindu art

Resembling a vulva

A Buddhist sect focused on zen (literally, meditation) as the path to enlightenment, in contrast with Buddhist sects that emphasize more formal rituals. Closely tied to the practice of sumi-e painting

the thunder god, head of the ancient Greek pantheon