Art History 101 Flashcards

Art History Concepts

• Hierarchy of Scale: Artistic convention where size indicates importance; larger figures represent greater significance, exemplified by the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin from Sippar, Iran.

• Register: Horizontal bands depicting narratives; for instance, the Standard of Ur, found in the Royal Cemetery at Ur, Iraq, showcases this Ancient Near East technique.

• Relief Carvings: Panels carved into or away from a surface; an example is the Women Holding a Bison Horn, a Paleolithic relief from Laussel, France.

• Amarna Period/Style: Characterized by naturalistic imagery diverging from traditional ruler portraits; represented by Pharaoh Akhenaton from Amarta, Egypt.

• Classical Art: Focused on idealized human forms and naturalism, showcasing athleticism and triumph; features variety in poses, moving away from rigid frontal views.

• Contrapposto: A Greek sculpture style where figures stand with weight on one leg, creating an "S" curve in the body; the Doryphoros exemplifies this technique.

• Cult Statue: Represents deities in ancient temples; notably, the Aphrodite of Knidos from Classical Greek culture in Greece.

• Frieze: A wide horizontal band featuring sculptural or painted decoration, situated above columns.

• Hellenistic Art: Focused on emotion and anatomical realism; artists explored themes of suffering and vulnerability, moving toward expressive sculptural representations.

• Repoussé Technique: Involves hammering metal from a single sheet to create three-dimensional shapes; seen in the Funerary Mask of Agamemnon from Ancient Greece.

• Necropolis: A large cemetery associated with an ancient city; the Interior of the Tomb of the Reliefs in Cerveteri, Italy serves as an example.

• Tumulus: Earth and stone mounds over graves, also known as barrows; the Tumulus in Banditaccia Necropolis illustrates this Etruscan burial practice.

• Arch: A curved structure spanning spaces, essential in architecture, exemplified by the Pont du Gard in France.

• Coffer: Recessed ceiling designs to alleviate weight, such as those in the Pantheon in Rome.

• Continuous Narrative: A storytelling method representing multiple scenes in one image without dividers; characters recur to define the sequence.

• Horror Vacui: The fear of empty spaces prompts dense detailing throughout artworks, seen in the Ara Pacis.

• Oculus: An "eye" cut-out atop a dome, allowing light into structures; notable in the Pantheon.

• Vault: An arch-form roof common in large buildings; exemplified by the Flavian Amphitheater.

• Additive and Subtractive Techniques:

  • Additive: Involves mold creation and pouring materials.
  • Subtractive: Material removal process, as seen in the Figurine of a Woman from Greece.

• Culture: The collective beliefs, customs, and traditions of a group; fundamental in understanding art and its context.

• In the Round: Sculpture meant for 360-degree viewing, like the Venus of Willendorf from Austria, designed to be approached from all angles.

• Medium: The materials employed in art creation play a crucial role in determining artwork characteristics.

• Style: Refers to the distinct characteristics from a period, culture, or individual artist influencing art creation.