AP Art History Vocab

anthropomorphic

Having characteristics of human form, though the form itself is not human

Cong

a tubular object with a circular hole cut into a square-like cross section

henge

a Neolithic monument, characterized by a circular ground plan

lintel

horizontal beam over an opening

megalith

a stone of great size in the construction of a prehistoric structure

Menhir

standing stone; a large uncut stone erected as a monument

mortise-and-tenon

A groove cut into stone or wood, called a mortise, that is shaped to receive a tenon, or projection, of the same dimensions

post-and-lentil

a method of construction where two posts support a horizontal beam called a lentil

stele

an upright stone slab used to mark a grave or site

stylized

a nonrealistic manner of representing the visible world and its contents, abstracted from how they appear in nature

Amarna style

art created during the rein of Akhenaton, which shows a more relaxed figure than Old and Middle Kingdom art

Ankh

an Egyptian symbol of life

Axial Plan

a building with an elongated ground plan

Clerestory

a roof that rises above lower roofs and thus has window space

Engaged column

a column that is not freestanding but attached to a wall

ground line

base line upon which figures stand

Hypostyle

a hall in an Egyptian temple that has a roof supported by a dense thicket of columns

In situ

Latin expression that means something is in its original location

Ka

the soul, or spiritual essence, of a human being that either ascends to heaven or can live in an Egyptian statue of itself

Mastaba

flat-roofed Egyptian tomb with sides sloping down to the ground

Necropolis

large burial area

Peristyle

a colonnade surrounding a building or enclosing a courtyard

Pylon

a monumental gateway to an Egyptian temple marked by two flat, sloping walls between a smaller entrance

Reserve column

column that is cut away from rock but has no support function

Sunken Relief

carving in which the outlines of figures are deeply carved into a surface so that the figures seem to project forward

Apadona

an audience hall in a Persian palace

Apotropaic

having the power to ward off evil or bad luck

cella

that main room of a temple where the god is hosted

Facade

the front of a building

Ground Plan

map of the floor of a building

Hierarchy of Scale

a system of representation that expresses a person’s importance by the size of his or her representation in a work of art

Negative Space

empty space around an object or a person

Register

a horizontal band, often on top of another, telling a narrative story

Relief Sculpture

sculpture that projects from a flat backround

votive

offered in fulfillment of a vow or a pledge

Ziggurat

pyramid-like building made of several stories that indent as building gets higher

Ionic

columns with scrolled capitals and upper story with sculptures in friezes

Isocephalasm

depicting heads of figures on the same level

Kouros

Greek figure of a standing youth

Krater

bowl of ancient Greece used to mix water and wine

mosaic

decoration using pieces of stone, marble, or colored glass called tesserae, that are cemented on a wall or floor

Panathenaic Way

a ceremonial road for a procession built to honor Athena

Pediment

triangular top of a temple with contains a sculpture

Propylaeum

gateway leading to a Greek temple

Stoa

covered walkway having columns on one side and a wall on another

Metotype

small relief sculpture on facade of a Greek Temple

Triglyph

projecting grooved element alternating with a metope on a Greek Temple

Pendentive

a construction shaped like a triangle that transitions the space between flat walls and the base of a round dome

Squinch

polygonal base of a dome that makes a transition from the dome to a flat wall

Arabesque

a flowing intricate, and symmetrical pattern deriving from floral motifs

Calligraphy

decorative or beautiful handwriting

Iwan

a rectangular vaulted space in a Muslim building that is walled on three sides and open on the fourth

Mausoleum

a building, usually large, full of tombs

Mihrab

a central niche in a mosque, which indicates the direction to Mecca

Minaret

a tall, slender column used to call people to prayer

Mosque

Muslim house of worship

Muqarna

a honeycomb-like decoration applied to Islamic buildings domes, niches, capitals, or vaults. The surface resembles intricate stalactites

Pyxis

a small cylinder-shaped container with a detachable lid used to contain cosmetics or jewelry

Tessellation

decoration using polygonal shapes with no gaps

Voussoirs

wedge-shaped stone that forms the curved part of an arch

Ambulatory

a passageway around the apse or altar of a church

Apse

the endpoint of a church where the altar is located

Basilica

axially planned church with a long nave, side aisles and an apse for the altar

Central Plan

a church having a circular plan with an altar in the middle

Coffer

sunken panel in the ceiling

Narthex

the closest part of the atrium to the basilica

Atrium

a courtyard in a Roman house or before Christian Church

Nave

main aisle of a church

Orant Figure

figure with arms raised in prayer

Spolia

reuse of architectural or sculptural pieces in buildings generally different from the original context

Transept

an aisle of a church perpendicular to the Nave

Cathedral

the principle church of a diocese

Codex

a manuscript book

Continuous Narrative

a work of art that contains several scenes from the same story painted or sculped in a single frame

Icon

devotional panel depicting a sacred image

Iconostasis

screen decorated with icons, which separated the apse from the transept of a church

Abbey

a monastery for monks, or a covenant for nuns, and the church that is connected to it

arcade

a series of arches supported by columns. When arches face a wall and are not self-supporting, they are blind arcades

Archivolt

series of concentric moldings around an arch

Bay

a verticle section of a church that is embraced by a set of columns and is usually compose of arches and aligned windows

Embroidery

a woven product which a design is stitched into premade fabric

Portal

a doorway. In medieval times they can be significantly decorated

Reliquary

a vessel for holding a sacred relic

Rib vault

a vault in which diagonal arches form a rib-like pattern. Partially support a roof, creating web-like patterns

Tapestry

a woven product where the backing and design are created on a loom at the same time

Transept

an aisle in a church perpendicular to the nave

Triforium

nanau passageway with arches opening onto a nave, usually directly below a clerestory

animal style

Medieval art form in which animals are depicted in stylized and often in complicated pattern, usually seen fighting with one another

Chasing

Ornament metal by indenting into a surface with a hammer

Cloissone

Enamalwork in which colored areas are separated by thin bonds of metal, usually gold or bronze

Colophon

(1) a commentary on the end panel of a Chinese scroll (2) an inscription at the end of a manuscript containing relevant information on its publication

Fibula

a clasp to fasten garments

Horror Vacci

a type of artwork in which the entire surface is filled with objects, people, designs, and ornaments in a crowded, sometimes congested way

Vellum

particularly fine parchment made of calf skin

Andachtsbild

and image used for private contemplation and devotion

choir

a pace in a church between the transept and the apse

flying buttress

a stone arch and its pier that support a roof from a pillar outside a building

Haggadah

‘narration', specifically a book containing the Jewish story of Passover and the ritual of the Seder

Hammerbeam

type of roof in English Gothic architecture in which timber braces curve out form walls and meet high over the middle of the floor

Moralized Bible

a Bible in which the Old and New Testament stories are paralleled with one another in illustrations, text and commentary