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
Site-specific
Work made for one place that does not survive transplantation; it takes on a site's history and physicality.
Sublime
A feeling of awe and beauty beyond human grasp; the core concept of Romanticism.
Salon
A state-sanctioned exhibition and critical forum; the 19th-century French authority that Impressionism contested.
Sinopia
A reddish-brown underdrawing beneath fresco; a design plan hidden under the finished wall.
Silkscreen · Serigraphy
A stencil printmaking technique that pushes ink through a fine screen, producing vibrant colour fields.
Symmetry
Balance about a central axis; an old organising principle in religious painting and decorative pattern.
Sculpture
Three-dimensional shaping of space; includes carving, assembly, modelling, and more.
Sketch
A rapid record of observation and thought; both preparatory and freestanding work.
Stencil
Applying paint through a cut-out template; used in street art and mass-produced print alike.
Spray
A pressurised tool that atomises paint; widely used in outdoor murals and street art.
Superrealism · Hyperrealism
A painting trend pushing past Photorealism, reconstructing reality at a precision beyond the naked eye.
Sepia
A brown pigment originally derived from cuttlefish ink; the chromatic emblem of vintage photography.