Art History-Vocab-Art History

Picture plane:

Ex: The last Supper by Leonardo

Chiaroscuro: Italian for  "light dark"; figures w/ strongly contrasted light and shadow

Ex: Virgin and Saint Anne w/ the Christ Child and the Young John the Baptist by Leonardo

Cartoon: full-scale model

Ex: Virgin and Saint Anne w/ the Christ Child and the Young John the Baptist by Leonardo

Sfumato: a thin, lightly tinted varnish resulting in a smoky overall haze

Ex: Mona Lisa by Leonardo

Stanza: room in the papal office

Ex: Disputa by Raphael

Disputa: depicting the dispute over the true presence of Christ in the Communion bread

Ex: Disputa by Raphael; one of the four branches of knowledge

Pieta: works in which the Virgin supports and morns the dead Jesus

Ex: Pieta by Michelangelo

Cornice: uppermost section of a classical entablature

Ex: Sistine Chapel; ceiling

Putti: nude little boys

Ex: Sistine Chapel; used to decorate the short pilasters

Ignudi: nude young men

Ex: Sistine Chapel; theyre seated on the cornice projections

Motif: a repeated figure in a design

Ex: Sistine Chapel ceiling such as the bucranium of each spandrel-triangle

Nonfinite: unfinished

Ex: Pieta (a.k.a. Rondanini) by Michelangelo

Drum: wall that supports a dome

Ex: Chuch of San Pietro in Montorio

Cardinals: a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, of the Roman Catholic Church

Ex: Leo X w/ Cardinals Giulio de' Medici and Luigi de' Rossi by Raphael

Atrium: a walled fore-court

Ex: Old Saint Peter's Basilica; 4th century

Cartouche: frame for a hieroglyphic inscription formed b a rope design surrounding an oval space

Ex: Four Apostles by Albrecht Durer

Quoins: Stone, often large or decorated for emphasis, forming the corner of two walls ex: Palazzo Farnese, Rome ,

by Sangallo the younger and Michelangelo

Tempera: A painting medium made by mixing egg yolks, water, and pigments and some other materials like glue. It

was used for panel paintings and murals. Ex: "The Last Supper" by Leonardo Da Vinci

Pastoral: Set in the country side. Ex: "The Pastoral Concert" by Titian and Giorgione

Reformation: Returning to the early church. Began when Martin Luther split from the Catholic Church. Many

artworks were destroyed because they were considered icons

Hemicycles: Semicircular structures Ex: On Saint Peters Basilica

Blind window: Windows with no openings. Ex: Saint Peters Basilica

Colossal order: any order built on a large scale. Ex; Saint Peters Basilica

Mannerism: Extraordinary virtuosity, sophisticated, elegant compositions, and fearless manipulations or

distortions of accepted formal conventions. Ex: "Portrait of a Young Man" by Bronzino.

Chateaux: A French country house or castle or elegant rural palaces ex: Chateau of Fontaibloleau

Cycles: Series of Paintings on a single allegorical subject. Ex: "Return of the Hunters" by Brugel

Caduceus: The symbolic staff with two entwined snakes. Ex: "George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland " by Nicholas

Hilliard

 
 

 
 

 
 

Holy Roman Empire : The greatest power in Europe . Cities and territories in Central Europe acknowledged the

overlordship of the Holy Roman Empire . In 1519 Charles V added Spain , the Netherlands , and territories in the Americas to the Empire

Papal States :

Branacci Chapel: Florence , it was originally dedicated to Saint Peter so the paintings in the interior illustrates his

life. Masaccio's style in the frescoes influenced many Renaissance artists like Michelangelo.

Carrara : The place where Michelangelo would hand pick the marble from the quarries; David was made out of this

Marble.

Sistine Chapel: Vatican Rome . Builder was Pope Sixtus IV for who it was named after. The ceiling was painted by Michelangelo with scenes from the Old Testament like "the Creation of Adam"

Vatican: Smallest country where the pope resides

Venice: City in Northern Italy

 
 

 
 

 
 

Julius II: Patron of the Sisten Chapel, employed Raphael

Charles V: Holy Roman Emperor in 1519: Added Spain, the Netherlands, and the vast lands of America to his realm

Clement VII: Medici, clashed with Charles V, caused the Sack of Rome because of their rivalry

Giorgio Vasari: Wrote the 1st Art History book

Duke Ludovico Sforza: Patron of the Last Supper, ruled Milan, imprisoned and then killed in 1508

Leo X: Julius II's successor, continued to employ Raphael,

Savonarola: Friar who entranced Michelangelo, executed for heresy in 1498

Vitruvius: Wrote the book about architecture and art. Inspired Bramante

Gonzaga: Continued family tradition of art patronage, hired Romano to build a pleasure palace for him

St. Sebastian and Abbott: Saints associated with the plague (Isenheim Alterpiece)

Martin Luther: Nailed the 95 thesis onto the church doors, calling for church reform, first to deny the rights of the

church, Lutheran religion named for him. He was condemned in 1521

Ignatius Loyola: Founded Society of Jesus, a new religious order

Francis I: Greatest French patron of artists, as soon as he got the throne he showed interest in modifying the court

through the talents of DaVinci

Phillip II: Only son of Charles V and Isabella of Portugal, became King of Spain, serious art collector