Art History · College

Art History Key Terms and Techniques

Core art historical vocabulary and techniques used to analyze and describe artworks.

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Define linear perspective.
A technique for creating the illusion of depth on a flat surface by using converging lines that meet at a vanishing point.
What is chiaroscuro?
The use of strong contrasts between light and shadow to create drama and depth in an image.
Define sfumato.
A blending technique that uses subtle transitions between colors and tones to create soft, almost smoky effects.
What is impasto?
A painting technique where paint is applied thickly enough that brushstrokes or palette knife marks are visible and textured.
Define glazing in painting.
A technique of applying thin, transparent layers of paint over dried layers to create luminosity and modify color.
What is composition in art?
The arrangement and organization of visual elements (shapes, colors, figures, objects) within an artwork.
In art, what does 'form' refer to?
The three-dimensional shape and structure of an object, as opposed to its flat, two-dimensional representation.
Describe the Baroque art movement.
A 17th-century movement emphasizing emotional intensity, dramatic lighting, rich colors, and dynamic compositions.
What characterizes Rococo art?
An ornate, decorative 18th-century style featuring playful subjects, pastel colors, and delicate, curving forms.
Define Neoclassicism as an art movement.
An 18th and 19th-century movement that returned to classical Greco-Roman ideals of simplicity, order, and moral virtue.
What is Romanticism in art?
A late 18th to 19th-century movement emphasizing emotion, imagination, individualism, and the power of nature.
Describe Impressionism.
A 19th-century movement focused on capturing light, color perception, and transient moments through loose brushwork and outdoor painting.
What did Post-Impressionists emphasize?
Structure, form, and symbolic content, moving away from Impressionism's focus on fleeting light effects.
Define Fauvism.
An early 20th-century movement emphasizing bold, non-naturalistic color and expressive brushwork over realistic representation.
What is Cubism in art?
An early 20th-century movement that depicts objects from multiple viewpoints simultaneously using fragmented, geometric forms.

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