Glossary A ABBEY A building where monks and nuns live or used to live. ABSTRACTISM Abstract art, an artistic movement that gave up trying to imitate reality. It had its origins in the 19th century. ACROPOLIS The citadel or high fortified area of an ancient Greek city. AERIAL PERSPECTIVE A painting technique that creates the illusion of depth representing the effects that atmosphere has on distant object and colours. AESTHETIC The philosophical theory related to the idea of beauty. APEX The highest point, e.g. of a building. APSE A vaulted semicircular or polygonal termination in a building, usually at the east end of a church. ARCADE A passage with arches. ARCH A structure with a curved top that is supported by straight sides. ARCHITECTURAL STYLE The Second style in Roman wall painting. Images were inserted into architectural elements. ARCHITECTURE The science, art of designing and constructing buildings. ARCHITRAVE The lowest part of an entablature resting upon the columns. ARCHIVOLT An ornamental moulding or band following the curve of an arch. ASHLAR A squared building stone. AVANT-GARDE An artistic movement in the 20th century that broke with the past aesthetic canon. B BACKGROUND The part of a picture which is furthest away from the person looking at it. BALUSTRADE A row of balusters forming a parapet. BAPTISMAL FONT A basin or vase serving to keep baptismal water. BAPTISTERY A part of a church or a separate building where baptism is administered. BAROQUE The style in art history prevalent in the 17th century. BARREL VAULT A semi-cylindrical vault. BASILICA An early Christian or medieval church. BAY A vertical division of a large interior. BIFORATE A window with a colonnette dividing it into two openings. BUON FRESCO The technique of wall painting of using watercolours on wet plaster. Also called true fresco. C CANON A criterion of judgment commonly accepted as a valid guide. CANVAS A piece of strong cloth for painting a picture on. CAPITAL The topmost part of a column. CARTOON A full-scale design in preparation of a picture. CAST IRON A hard type of iron made from a mixture of iron, carbon, and silicon. CASTRUM An ancient Roman fortified camp organised in a geometrical pattern. CATHEDRAL A Christian church, the seat of a bishop, the most important in a diocese. CENOTAPH Sepulchral monument built for someone buried elsewhere. CENTRING A temporary structure used to support arches during construction. CHAPEL A small and separated part of a church or a small structure like a church. CHECKERBOARD A design resembling a board marked into squares, on which chess is played. CHIAROSCURO The use of gradation of light and shade in a picture. CITY-STATE A city in ancient Greece that had its own form of government and its own army.