Abstract Art
Art that does not attempt to represent external reality but seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, colors, and textures. Expand definition...
Acrylic Painting
A fast-drying painting technique using pigments suspended in acrylic polymer emulsion, allowing for vibrant colors and quick layering. Expand definition...
Aesthetic
A branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty in art.. Expand definition...
Analogous Colors
Colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, often creating serene and comfortable designs. Expand definition...
Appliqué
A technique where fabric or other material is sewn onto another fabric to create patterns or images.
Art Brut
A term coined by French artist Jean Dubuffet to describe art created outside the boundaries of official culture, often by self-taught or outsider artists.
Art Criticism
The discussion or evaluation of visual art, often involving a detailed analysis and interpretation of an artwork's meaning and technique.
Art Deco
An influential visual arts design style that first appeared in France just before World War I. It is characterized by bold geometric shapes, rich colors, and lavish ornamentation.
Art Nouveau
An international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts, characterized by intricate linear designs and flowing curves based on natural forms.
Assemblage Art
A form of sculpture comprised of "found" objects arranged in such a way that they create a piece, which is often three-dimensional.
Assemblage
An artistic form or medium usually created on a defined substrate that consists of three-dimensional elements projecting out of or from the substrate.
Avant-garde
New and unusual or experimental ideas, especially in the arts, or the people introducing them.
Balance
A principle of art that refers to the distribution of visual weight in a work of art.
Baroque
A highly detailed and elaborate style of art, architecture, and music that flourished in Europe from the early 17th until the mid-18th century.
Bas-relief
A low relief sculpture where the sculpted elements barely stand out from the background, almost like it's carved just around the edges.
Batik
A technique of hand-dyeing fabrics by using wax as a dye repellent to cover parts of a design, dyeing the uncovered fabric with one color, removing the wax with boiling water, and repeating the process for each color used.
Bauhaus
A German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts and became famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught.
Bisque
Unglazed ceramic ware that has been fired once.
Caricature
A depiction in which the subject's distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect.
Carving
The act of creating a sculpture by cutting, chipping, or hewing wood, stone, or other materials.
Chiaroscuro
An Italian term that literally means "light-dark." In art, it refers to the use of strong contrasts between light and dark to give the illusion of volume in modeling three-dimensional objects and figures.
Collage
An art technique where various materials such as paper, fabric, or other objects are arranged and glued onto a surface.
Complementary Colors
Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. When placed next to each other, they create a strong contrast and can intensify each other.
Conceptual Art
Art in which the concept or idea involved in the work takes precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns.
Conceptualism
Art where the concept(s) or idea(s) involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns.
Constructivism
An artistic and architectural philosophy that originated in Russia beginning in 1915, characterized by an emphasis on abstract, geometric forms.
Contrapposto
An Italian term used in visual arts to describe a human figure standing with most of its weight on one foot so that its shoulders and arms twist off-axis from the hips and legs.
Cubism
An early 20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature, and architecture.
Curator
A person who manages and oversees a museum's collection and exhibitions.
Dada
An art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century, characterized by a deliberate irrationality and the rejection of traditional artistic values.
Decorative Arts
Arts or crafts whose object is the design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful and functional.
Decoupage
The art of decorating surfaces by applying cutouts (as of paper) and then coating them with several layers of finish such as lacquer or varnish.
Diptych
A painting or other work of art consisting of two separate panels, usually hinged together.
Easel
A stand used by artists to hold a canvas steady while they paint.
Eclecticism
A conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights.
Embossing
A technique of creating raised patterns on the surface of metal, leather, paper, or textiles, typically for decorative purposes.
Enamel
A decorative coating, usually colored and opaque, made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate (usually metal, glass, or ceramics) by firing at a high temperature.
Encaustic
A painting technique involving the use of hot beeswax mixed with colored pigments, applied to a surface and then heated to fuse the layers together.
Engraving
A printmaking technique where the artist cuts lines into a metal plate to create an image. Ink is then applied to the plate and transferred to paper.
Esoteric Art
Art that is intended to be understood by only a small number of people with specialized knowledge.
Etching
A printmaking process where a metal plate is coated with a waxy ground, and then lines are drawn through the ground to expose the metal. The plate is then exposed to acid, which eats into the exposed metal, creating grooves that hold ink.
Expressionism
A modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century, characterized by the depiction of subjective emotions and responses rather than objective reality.
Fauvism
An early 20th-century movement in modern art exemplified by the work of Henri Matisse and characterized by strong colors and fierce brushwork.
Figurative Art
Art that represents real objects or subjects from reality, especially the human figure.
Figure-Ground Relationship
The relationship between the main subject of a work of art and the background space.
Fluxus
An international and interdisciplinary group of artists, poets, and musicians, founded in the 1960s and noted for experimental and conceptual art.
Found Object
An object not originally intended as art, found and repurposed by an artist to be part of a piece.
Fresco
A technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting becomes an integral part of the wall.
Frontalism
An artistic style, mainly associated with ancient Egyptian art, where figures are presented with their head in profile, but their body shown from the front.
Genre Painting
Art that depicts scenes from everyday life, domestic interiors, parties, inn scenes, and street scenes.
Geometric Abstraction
A form of abstract art based on the use of simple geometric shapes placed in non-illusionistic space and combined into non-objective compositions.
Gesso
A white paint mixture consisting of a binder mixed with chalk, gypsum, pigment, or any combination of these. It is used to prepare the surface of a canvas for painting.
Gestural Painting
A style of painting characterized by vigorous, expressive brushstrokes deliberately emphasizing the gestures of the painter's arm.
Glazing
In painting, applying a transparent or semi-transparent layer of paint to create depth and a glowing effect.
Golden Ratio
A mathematical ratio commonly found in nature, which is often used in art and design to create pleasing, balanced compositions.
Gothic Art
A style of medieval art that developed in Northern France out of Romanesque art in the 12th century AD, characterized by the use of vibrant colors, elongated figures, and intricate details.
Gouache
A method of painting using opaque pigments ground in water and thickened with a glue-like substance.
Graffiti
Writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view.
Grisaille
A painting executed entirely in shades of grey or another neutral greyish color. It is particularly used in large decorative schemes in imitation of sculpture.
Hard-Edge Painting
A style of painting in which abrupt transitions are found between color areas, which are often of one unvarying color.
Harmony
A principle of art that refers to a way of combining elements of art to accentuate their similarities and bring a sense of cohesiveness to the composition.
Hue
A particular shade of a given color.
Iconography
The visual images, symbols, or modes of representation collectively associated with a person, cult, or movement; the study or interpretation of these.
Imitation
The act of copying the style of another artist or work.
Impasto
A painting technique where paint is laid on a surface very thickly, usually thick enough that the brush or palette knife strokes are visible.
Impressionism
A 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities, ordinary subject matter, inclusion of movement, and unusual visual angles.
Ink Wash
A technique used in drawing and painting that employs a brush and ink or pigment to create variations in tone, similar to watercolor.
Installation Art
An artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space.
Intaglio
A printmaking process in which a design is incised or engraved into a material, such as a plate or block, creating a pattern in the surface.
Japonism
The influence of Japanese art, fashion, and aesthetics on Western culture, particularly in the 19th century.
Kinetic Art
Art from any medium that contains movement perceivable by the viewer or depends on motion for its effect.
Kitsch
Art or objects considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way.
Lacquer
A liquid made of shellac dissolved in alcohol or synthetic substances that dries to form a hard protective coating. It is often used to finish wood and metal surfaces in fine art and furniture making.
Linear Perspective
A mathematical system used to create the illusion of space and distance on a flat surface.
Lithography
A method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone or a metal plate with a smooth surface.
Mandala
A geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism, often used as a spiritual guidance tool, and in the creation of art as a form of meditation and ritual.
Mannerism
An artistic style that emerged in the late Renaissance, characterized by elongated forms, exaggerated poses, and often a complex composition with an emphasis on elegance and artificiality.
Maquette
A small-scale model or rough draft of an unfinished sculpture.
Marquetry
The art and craft of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns, designs, or pictures, often used in furniture.
Medium
The material or technique an artist uses to create a work of art.
Minimalism
An art movement that began in post–World War II Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s, where the work is stripped down to its most fundamental features.
Mixed Media
An artwork in which more than one medium or material has been employed, such as combining paint, ink, and collage elements on a single canvas.
Modernism
A broad movement in Western arts and literature that gathered pace from around 1850, characterized by a deliberate rejection of the styles of the past and an emphasis on innovation.
Monochrome
A painting, drawing, design, or photograph in one color or values of one color.
Monotype
A printmaking technique in which a single impression of an image is made from a reprintable block. The resulting print is unique, as the process does not allow for multiple copies.
Mosaic
A picture or pattern produced by arranging together small colored pieces of hard material, such as stone, tile, or glass.
Motif
A distinctive and recurring form, shape, figure, or theme in an artistic or literary composition.
Murals
Large paintings or artworks created directly on walls or ceilings, often covering vast spaces and designed to transform the perception of a particular environment.
Naïve Art
Art created by artists who have not received formal training and are often characterized by a childlike simplicity and a direct approach to subject matter.
Negative Space
The space around and between the subject(s) of an image.
Neoclassicism
A Western cultural movement that draws inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of ancient Greece or Rome.
Oil Paint
A type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil.
Op Art (Optical Art)
A style of visual art that uses optical illusions, creating an impression of movement or vibrating patterns and colors.
Orientalism
A style in Western art, particularly in the 19th century, that depicted the East (the Middle East, Asia, and North Africa) as exotic, colorful, and sensual.
Palette
The range of colors used by a particular artist or in a particular picture.
Papier-mâché
A composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp bound with an adhesive, such as glue, starch, or wallpaper paste, used in sculpture and decorative art.
Pastel
A crayon made of powdered pigments bound with gum or resin.
Patina
A thin layer that forms on the surface of metals (like copper, bronze, or brass) or other materials (like stone or wood) due to oxidation over a long period; can be artificially created in art.
Performance Art
An art form that combines visual art with dramatic performance, often focusing on the body and involving audience interaction.
Perspective
A technique used to represent three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface to mimic the natural perception of depth and space.
Photorealism
A genre of art in which paintings or drawings are created to resemble a high-resolution photograph, emphasizing detail and accuracy.
Pigment
The natural or synthetic substance that gives color to materials, used in making paints, inks, and dyes.
Plein Air
The act of painting outdoors, capturing landscapes and other natural elements directly from observation in the open air.
Pointillism
A painting technique in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image, developed by Georges Seurat and Paul Signac in the late 19th century.
Polyptych
A work of art consisting of four or more separate panels, typically hinged together, often used in altarpieces.
Pop Art
An art movement that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, characterized by themes and techniques drawn from popular mass culture such as advertising, comic books, and mundane cultural objects.
Portraiture
The art of creating portraits, which are representations of individual people, capturing their likeness, personality, and mood.
Post-Impressionism
A predominantly French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905, led by artists like Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne, characterized by a more expressive use of color and form than Impressionism.
Printmaking
The process of creating artworks by printing, normally on paper, which covers various techniques such as etching, lithography, and screen printing.
Pyrography
The art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated object like a poker.
Realism
An artistic movement that emerged in France in the 1840s, focused on depicting subjects as they appear in everyday life, without embellishment or interpretation.
Relief Sculpture
Sculpture that projects from a flat background, where the sculpted elements remain attached to a solid background of the same material.
Renaissance
A period of European history from the 14th to the 17th century, regarded as the cultural bridge between the Middle Ages and modern history, known for a revival of classical art, architecture, literature, and learning.
Repoussé
A metalworking technique in which a malleable metal is ornamented or shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design in low relief.
Representational Art
Art that depicts something easily recognized by most people, often depicting objects, figures, or scenes from the real world.
Rococo
An 18th-century artistic movement and style characterized by elaborate ornamentation, asymmetrical values, pastel color palette, and curved or serpentine lines.
Saturation
The intensity of color in an artwork; high saturation colors are vivid and rich, while low saturation colors appear more muted.
Scale
The size of an object (a whole) in relationship to another object (another whole) within a work of art.
Sculpture
A three-dimensional work of art created by shaping or combining materials such as stone, metal, or wood, or using softer materials like clay.
Sfumato
An Italian term meaning "smoky," referring to the technique of blending colors or tones so that they fade into one another without perceptible transitions, used to create a soft, hazy effect.
Silhouette
A two-dimensional representation of the outline of an object, often a person or animal, filled in with black or another solid color.
Stained Glass
Colored glass used to create decorative windows and other objects, traditionally used in churches and cathedrals.
Stencil
A sheet, often made of paper, plastic, or metal, with a design cut out, used to apply a pattern by painting over the cut-out areas.
Still Life
A genre of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects that are either natural (flowers, fruit) or man-made (glasses, books).
Stipple
A drawing, engraving, or painting technique that uses dots to create shading or texture.
Street Art
Art created in public locations, typically unsanctioned and executed outside of traditional art venues, often to make a social or political statement.
Study
A drawing, sketch, or painting done in preparation for a finished piece, or as visual notes.
Surrealism
A 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature which sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images.
Symbolism
An art movement that emerged in the late 19th century, emphasizing the representation of ideas and emotions over the realistic depiction of the natural world.
Symmetry
A balance or harmony of design and proportion in an artwork, where elements on either side of a central axis mirror each other.
Tempera
A permanent, fast-drying painting medium consisting of colored pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder, usually egg yolk.
Tenebrism
A style of painting that uses dramatic contrasts of light and dark, often with darkness as the dominant feature.
Tessellation
The arrangement of shapes closely fitted together, especially polygons in a repeated pattern without gaps or overlapping.
Textile Art
Art forms that use plant, animal, or synthetic fibers to construct practical or decorative objects.
Texture
The perceived surface quality or feel of an object in art, which can be actual (tactile) or implied (visual).
Tint
A color, especially a lighter or darker variation of a color, often achieved by adding white or black to the original color.
Tonalism
An artistic style of American painting that emerged in the 1880s, characterized by soft, muted colors and atmospheric effects to convey mood.
Tondo
A circular painting or relief sculpture, often used in Renaissance art.
Triptych
A work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided into three sections, or three carved panels that are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open.
Trompe-l'œil
A French term meaning 'deceive the eye'; a technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimensions.
Ukiyo-e
A genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries, depicting landscapes, tales from history, the theater, and pleasure quarters.
Underpainting
The initial layer of paint applied to a canvas or panel, which serves as a base for subsequent layers of paint and is often used to establish tonal values.
Value
The lightness or darkness of a color, used to create contrast and depth in an artwork.
Vanishing Point
In perspective drawing, the point on the horizon line where parallel lines appear to converge and vanish.
Vanitas
A genre of still-life painting, especially popular in the 17th century, that contains symbols of death or change as a reminder of their inevitability, often including skulls, hourglasses, and decaying flowers to emphasize the transient nature of earthly life and material wealth.
Varnish
A transparent, protective coating applied to the surface of a painting to protect it from dirt, dust, and moisture, and to enhance its color and sheen.
Verisimilitude
The appearance of being true or real in art; creating an impression of reality or truthfulness in a work.
Verism
A form of realism that is hyper-exaggerated and often focuses on portraying subjects with all their flaws and imperfections.
Vignette
A small, decorative illustration or portrait that fades into its background without a definite border.
Wash
A technique used in painting, in which a layer of color, usually watercolor, is applied to create a soft, diluted effect.
Watercolor
A painting method in which paints made of pigments suspended in a water-based solution are applied to paper, often creating a transparent effect.
Woodcut
A printmaking technique in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed.
Ziggurat
A terraced step pyramid often associated with the religious architecture of ancient Mesopotamia.
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