Glossary
Canvas
A sturdy fabric, typically linen or cotton, stretched over a wooden frame and prepared with gesso to serve as a support for painting, especially with oil paints.
Example:
Before beginning his large-scale historical painting, the artist meticulously stretched and primed the expansive canvas.
Charcoal
A dry drawing medium made from burnt wood, used for sketching, creating quick studies, and achieving deep blacks and expressive lines.
Example:
A sculptor might use charcoal to quickly block out the major forms and shadows of a figure before beginning to carve.
Exemplum virtutis
A Latin phrase meaning 'example of virtue,' referring to a work of art that illustrates a moral lesson or a virtuous act, often found in Neoclassical art.
Example:
A painting depicting a Roman hero sacrificing for his country would serve as an exemplum virtutis, encouraging viewers to emulate noble behavior.
Film
A medium for recording moving images and sound, which emerged in the 19th century and developed into a major art form and industry.
Example:
The Lumière brothers' early film screenings, showing everyday scenes, captivated audiences and marked the beginning of cinema.
Linear perspective
A system of creating an illusion of depth on a flat surface by using parallel lines that appear to converge at a single vanishing point on the horizon line.
Example:
Masaccio's Holy Trinity is a prime example of how linear perspective was used to create a convincing illusion of three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional wall.
Lithography
A planographic printing process based on the immiscibility of oil and water, where an image is drawn with a greasy crayon on a stone or metal plate.
Example:
Honoré Daumier frequently used lithography to produce satirical political cartoons that could be widely reproduced and distributed to the public.
Neoclassicism
An 18th-century artistic movement inspired by the classical art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome, emphasizing order, symmetry, balance, and moral virtue.
Example:
Jacques-Louis David's Oath of the Horatii exemplifies Neoclassicism through its stoic figures, clear composition, and theme of civic duty.
Oil Paint
A versatile painting medium made by mixing pigments with drying oils, known for its rich colors, slow drying time, and ability to create varied textures.
Example:
The luminous skin tones and intricate details in a Renaissance portrait are often achieved through the layered application of oil paint.
Pastels
A dry drawing and painting medium made from powdered pigment and a binder, formed into sticks, which produce soft, velvety textures and vibrant colors.
Example:
Edgar Degas often used pastels to depict the graceful movements and soft costumes of his ballet dancers.
Photography
The art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either chemically or electronically.
Example:
Early photography, such as a daguerreotype, revolutionized portraiture by offering a more accessible and realistic alternative to painted likenesses.
Rococo
An 18th-century artistic movement characterized by playful, romantic, and delicate ornamentation, curvilinear lines, and pastel colors, often associated with aristocratic leisure.
Example:
Fragonard's The Swing, with its lighthearted subject and soft palette, perfectly embodies the whimsical charm of the Rococo style.
Watercolor
A painting medium consisting of pigments suspended in a water-soluble binder, known for its transparency, luminosity, and delicate washes.
Example:
Many landscape artists use watercolor to capture the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere with soft, translucent layers.