Aesthetics and Creative Processes: English Vocabulary List

a sudden, powerful surge of creativity or insight, as though breathed into the mind by a higher power

"Afflatus is divine inspiration."

"Afflatus is a sudden creative inspiration or artistic impulse that comes from within the artist."

the act of bringing something into existence

"Creation makes something new."

"Creation is the act of bringing something new into existence such as an artwork or invention."

the ability to use imagination in order to bring something new into existence

"Creativity is an inner ability."

"Creativity is the ability to generate original and valuable ideas for art science or business."

a change in a person or thing caused by another person or thing

"The effect was surprising."

"The new rule had a strong effect on students."

the greatest literary or artistic piece that an author or artist has created

"The novel was considered the author's magnum opus."

"The author considered his final novel to be his magnum opus the greatest achievement of his entire writing life."

a source of inspiration for an artist or author that gives them ideas or motivates them to create works of art

"Artist muse inspired."

"She was the main muse who inspired the painter to create his most famous works many years ago."

an initial coating or primer of paint applied to a painting surface before applying the final layers of paint

"Imprimatura stains canvas tonally."

"Imprimatura is a thin transparent stain used to tone a canvas before beginning a painting."

an artistic object that is designed primarily for decoration rather than function

"Objet d'art is decorative art piece."

"Objet d'art is a small decorative art object made with skill and aesthetic value."

the collection of artistic or literary works produced by a particular painter, author, etc.

"This is his finest oeuvre."

"The painter's entire oeuvre includes hundreds of works spanning over fifty years of his artistic career."

(of a painting or its style) characterized by visible brushstrokes and an expressive, rather than realistic, representation of the subject

"The brushstroke is painterly."

"The painterly brushstrokes gave the artwork a soft and expressive quality that I loved."

the branch of philosophy which deals with the nature of beauty and art

"Aesthetics is the study of beauty."

"The aesthetics of modern architecture often prioritize clean lines and minimal decoration."

to form an idea or concept in the mind by combining existing ideas or information

"It is hard to conceptualize infinity."

"It is very difficult to conceptualize the vast size of the universe because it is so much larger than anything we experience daily."