Talking about Arts: English Vocabulary List

a work of art that is placed above or behind an altar

"The altarpiece hung behind the church altar."

"The golden altarpiece behind the priest showed scenes from the life of the saint."

the process of creating designs on a metal plate by cutting or using acid, and producing prints from it

"The artist made a beautiful etching of a boat on the sea."

"An etching is an intaglio printmaking technique where acid is used to incise a design into a metal plate"

a painting technique in which paint is applied so thickly to the canvas or panel that the brush strokes are visible

"Van Gogh used thick impasto paint to make his pictures feel alive."

"The artist used thick impasto to create visible brushstrokes and texture on the surface of the painting."

a painting created using dots and small strokes of color

"Pointillism uses small dots of color."

"Pointillism is a painting technique where the artist creates images using tiny dots of pure color."

a picture that is made up of different images put together

"The photomontage combined several images into one."

"The artist created a surreal photomontage by combining several different photographs into a single image."

the activity of reproducing designs or pictures by pressing a raised surface covered in ink against paper

"Printmaking creates multiple copies of artwork."

"Printmaking is an artistic process where an image is created on a matrix and then transferred to another surface"

the process or art of making objects out of clay that are heated to become resistant

"She makes beautiful ceramics like vases and bowls in her workshop."

"Ceramics is the art of making objects from clay that are permanently hardened by firing at high temperatures in a kiln."

a large painting done on a wall

"The mural covered the entire wall."

"The students painted a colorful mural on the side of the school building to celebrate diversity."

the art of producing beautiful handwriting using special writing instruments such as a dip or brush pen

"She learned Japanese calligraphy to write beautiful letters with a brush."

"He practices calligraphy every evening to improve his brush technique and focus."

a type of printing process that uses a flat stone or metal plate with a design etched into it to transfer ink to paper

"Lithography prints images from a flat stone."

"Lithography is a printing method that uses a flat stone or metal plate to transfer ink onto paper."

an ornate and grand style of art, music, and architecture present in the 17th and early 18th centuries in Europe

"Baroque art has dramatic details and movement."

"Baroque is a highly ornate artistic style that flourished in Europe from the early 17th to mid-18th century"

a style of art, literature, music, or architecture that imitates the style practiced in ancient Greece and Rome

"Neoclassicism revived ancient Greek and Roman styles."

"Neoclassicism was an 18th-century Western cultural movement that drew inspiration from classical antiquity"

a painting or drawing, representing objects that do not move, such as flowers, glassware, etc.

"The still life showed fruit and flowers."

"The still life painting depicted a bowl of fruit and a vase of flowers on a wooden table."