Descriptionary

hue a color or gradation of a color.

icon a picture, image, or sculpture of a holy person.

idiom the predominant art style of a particular period or person.

illumination any drawings and calligraphy used to decorate a manuscript.

impasto a style of painting in which paint is applied in thick layers or strokes, as in many Rembrandts.

impressionism a French art style originating in the 1870s and characterized by discontinuous brush strokes, vague outlines, and the use of bright colors and light effects, as in the works of Claude Monet.

inherent vice an art conservation term referring to anything present within the materials of an art work that may eventually bring about its deterioration.

inlay to insert decorative pieces of wood, metal, stone, or other material in a depression on a surface.

inpainting an art conservation term referring to the painting over of a damaged area so that it blends in with the rest of the painting.

intaglio an incised design, as used in dies for coins. Also, an etching process in which the printing areas are recessed.

intarsia inlay work of small pieces of wood veneer and sometimes marble or mother-of-pearl.

intonaco in a fresco, the last coat of plaster; the coat that is painted on.

journeyman a craftsman or artist who has served an apprenticeship and is qualified to work under a master.

kickwheel a pedal-operated potter's wheel.

kiln a furnace in which ceramics are fired.

kinetic art any art that moves or which has mov­able components.

kitsch any cheap, pretentious, or sentimental art work that appeals to the masses.

lacuna Latin for "gap." A portion of an art work that is missing due to damage.

landscape a drawing or painting of natural scenery.

limited edition a replica of an art work produced in a predetermined quantity, after which the plate, mold, or die is destroyed so no further copies can be made.

line drawing a drawing executed by lines only.

lithochromy the art of painting on stone.

lithograph a print made by lithography.

lithography a printmaking process employing a metal plate or stone on which a drawing is made with a crayon or greasy ink from which an impression is pressed onto paper.

local color in painting, the real or actual color of an object as distinguished from that subjected to unusual lighting.

magic realism in painting, a highly realistic render­ing of a subject accompanied by an air of surrealism due to the subject being placed in a strange or unex- pected place or time. Also, a form of realism rendered with flat paint and an absence of shadows.

marbling a form of decoration imitating the swirl­ing patterns of marble.

marouflage the technique of cementing a painted canvas on a wall with strong adhesives.

marquetry inlay work of small pieces of wood, mother-of-pearl, marble, and such-like, set in a floral or decorative pattern.

master an artist recognized as having great skill.

masterpiece one of an artist's best works.

mat a kind of inner painting frame or border made of cardboard or other still material.

matte of a finish, dull, flat.

mechanical drawing drafting.

medium the type of art form in which an artist works.

mezzo fresco a painting executed on partially dry plaster, Also, the method itself.

mobile a three-dimensional art work hung from a stand or from the ceiling and moved by slight air currents.

moire effect an optical illusion of a nonexistent pat­tern created by superimposing a repetitive design over another repetitive design.

monochrome a painting painted in shades of one color. Also, the part of painting in this manner.

montage a picture made up of parts of other pic­tures or prints that are overlapped.

mosaic an assemblage of small pieces of tile, mar­ble, wood, glass, or stone that form a picture or deco­rative pattern in a wall or floor.

motif in an art work, an element with a recurrent theme.

mural a painting executed directly on a wall or ceil­ing or on a canvas that is cemented directly to a wall.

neoclassical art any art influenced by the art of ancient Greece or Rome.

neutral color any color between warm and cool colors. Brown is a neutral color.

nonobjective art art that does not represent any­thing recognizable.

nouveau French term for a beginning artist or student.

objective art art that represents a person, place, or thing.

objet d'art a small, valuable artistic article.

op art a style of art popular in the 1960s and char­acterized by repeating abstract patterns that create optical illusions.

opening a private showing the day before an art exhibition opens to the public.