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AP Art History Greece Vocabulary

Vocabulary

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217796781AmazonomachyIn Greek mythology, the legendary battle between the Greeks and the Amazons
217796782Corinthian CapitalA more ornate form than the Doric or Ionic; consists of a double row of acanthus leaves, wrapped around a bellshaped echinus
217796783DoricOne of the two systems (or orders) evolved for articulating the three units of elevation of an ancient Greek temple
217796784HellenesThe name the ancient Greeks called themselves as the people of Hellas, to distinguish themselves from the people who did not speak Greek.
217796785HellenisticThe term given to the culture that developed after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C.E. and lasted almost three centuries, until the Roman conquest of Egypt in 31 B.C.E.
217796786IonicOne of the two systems (or orders) evolved for articulating three units of the elevation of a Greek temple, the platform, the colonnade, and the superstructure (entablature) The Ionic order is characterized by, e.g., volutes, capitals, columns with bases, and uninterrupted frieze.
217796787OrientalizingThe early phase of the Archaic Greek art, so named because of the adoption of forms and motifs from the ancient Near East and Egypt.
217796788Severe StyleThe earliest phase of Classical Greek sculpture.
217796789AbacusThe uppermost portion of the capital of a column, usually a thin slab.
217796790AcropolisLiterally, the "high city." In Greek architecture, usually the site of the city's most important temple(s).
217796791AgoraAn open square or space used for public meetings or business in ancient Greek cities
217796792AmphoraA two handled jar used for general storage purposes (to hold wine or oil).
217796793ArchitraveThe lintel or lowest division of the entablature
217796794BaseIn ancient Greek architecture, the lowest part of Ionic and Corinthian columns
217796795Black-figurethe silhouetting of dark figures against a light background
217796796CapitalThe uppermost member of a column
217796797CaryatidA female figure that functions as a supporting column.
217796798CellaThe chamber (Greek naos) at he center of an ancient temple
217796799CentaurIn ancient Greek mythology, a fantastical creature, with the front or top half of a human and the back or bottom half of a horse
217796800CentauromachyThe battle between the Greeks and the Centaurs
217796801ChitonA Greek tunic
217796802ColumnA vertical, weight carrying architectural member, consisting of a base (sometimes), shaft, and capital
217796803ContrappostoThe disposition of the human figure in which one part is turned in opposition to another part (usually legs or hips one way, shoulders and chest another)
217796804CorniceThe projecting, crowning member of the entablature framing the pediment
217796805CuneiIn ancient Greek theaters, wedge-shaped sections of stone benches separated by stairs.
217796806Dipteraldouble colonnades around Greek temples
217796807DrumThe circular wall that supports a dome, also one of the cylindrical stones of which a non-monolithic column is made.
217796808EchinusThe architectural convex element of a capital directly below the abacus.
217796809ElevationIn drawing and architecture, a geometric projection of a building on a plane perpendicular to the horizon (vertical).
217796810EncausticA painting technique in which pigment is mixed with wax and applied to the surface while hot.
217796811EntablatureThe part of a building above the columns and below the roof.
217796812EntasisA convex tapering in the shaft of a column
217796813FilletsThe flat ridges of Ionic fluting.
217796814FluteVertical channeling, roughly semicircular in cross-section and used principally on columns and pilasters.
217796815ForeshorteningThe use of perspective to represent in art, the apparent visual contraction of an object that extends back in space at an angle to the perpendicular plane of sight.
217796816MeanderAn ornament consisting of interlocking geometric motifs.
217796817GigantomachyThe battle between gods and giants.
217796818GlazeA coating applied to pottery to seal and decorate the surface
217796819GorgonA hideous female demon with snake hair. Medusa, the most famous gorgon, was capable of turning anyone who gazed at her into stone.
217796820In situIn place, in the original position.
217796821KoreGreek for "young woman"
217796822KourosGreek for "young man"
217796823KraterAn ancient Greek wide-mouthed bowl for mixing wine and water.
217796824KylixAn ancient Greek shallow drinking cup with two handles and a stem.
217796825Lost-Wax ProcessA bronze casting method in which a figure is modeled in wax and covered in clay; the whole is fired, melting away the wax and hardening the clay, which then becomes the mold for a molten metal.
217796826MausoleumA central-plan, domed structure, built as a memorial.
217796827MetopeThe panel between triglyphs in a Doric frieze. Often in relief.
217796828MonolithA column that is all one piece (no drums), a large, single block or piece of stone is used in megalithic structures.
217796829NaosSame as Cella
217796830NeckingA groove at the bottom of the ancient Greek Doric capital between the echinus and the flutes that masks the junction of the capital and shaft.
217796831OrderA style represented by a characteristic design of the columns and entablature.
217796832PalmetteA conventional, decorative ornament of ancient origin composed of radiating petals springing from a cuplike base.
217796833Pebble MosaicsMosaics made of irregularly shaped stones, found near the river or ocean, of various colors.
217796834PedimentThe triangular space at the end of a building, formed by the ends of the sloping roof above the colonnade.
217796835PeplosA simple long woolen belted garment worn by ancient Greek women that gives the female figure a columnar appearance.
217796836PeripteralSingle row of columns surrounding a temple
217796837Peristylecolonnade all around the cella and it's porch(es).
217796838PinakothekeGreek word for "picture gallery."
217796839PlanThe horizontal arrangement of the parts of a building.
217796840PorticoA porch with a roof supported by columns (entrance porch)
217796841PronaosThe space, or porch, in front of the cella of an ancient Greek temple.
217796842PropylaeaA gateway building leading to an open court preceding and ancient Greek or Roman temple.
217796843Red-figureThe silhouetting of red figures against a black background
217796844RhytonAn ancient ceremonial drinking vessel, sometimes in the form of the head of an animal, a person, or a mythological creature
217796845Satyrmale follower of Dionysus, represented as part human, part goat.
217796846SlipA mixture of fine clay and water used in ceramic decoration
217796847StylobateThe uppermost course of the platform of a classical temple, which supports the columns

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