LIBRARY

Art Words

An art glossary built around terms that appear in artwork descriptions on this site, growing little by little.

Index

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. H
  9. I
  10. J
  11. K
  12. L
  13. M
  14. N
  15. O
  16. P
  17. Q
  18. R
  19. S
  20. T
  21. U
  22. V
  23. W
  24. X
  25. Y
  26. Z
  27. 163 terms
Lustre
A glossy finish; can also refer to iridescent sheens obtained from glaze or metal oxides.
Rough Sketch
A loose preparatory drawing that records the thinking toward a final work.
Realism
A stance that resists idealisation and depicts subjects as they are, often paired with social observation.
Lithograph
A planographic print that exploits the resistance of oil and water; capable of broad tone and high editions.
Linen
Flax-woven canvas, prized in oil painting for its durability and resilient tooth.
Layer
Stacked planes in painting or digital images; their order and opacity change the expressive grain.
Resin
Synthetic resin used for transparent encapsulation and casting; common in contemporary sculpture.
Readymade
Presenting a manufactured object directly as art; Duchamp established the concept.
Rococo
An 18th-century French style of delicate elegance, marked by curves, pastel hues, and intimate subjects.
Romanticism
A late-18th to 19th-century current that valued feeling and the sublime against rationalist Enlightenment.