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Enlightenment (n)
term used to characterize 18th- century philosophy and culture, which was driven by the belief that reasoned thinking brings about social progress. Because of their emphasis on knowledge gathering and empirical reasoning, Enlightenment thinkers were typically antireligious and critical of institutions such as the Catholic Church, which they saw as antirational. In art, Neoclassicism mirrored Enlightenment thinking, since its visual style was grounded in Classical antiquity, a period in which art was based on orderly principles such as balance, restraint, and harmony. |
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epic (n)
long, narrative oral or written poem that tells the story of a hero’s or heroine’s adventures
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ethnography (n)
branch of anthropology concerned with the study of specific human cultures based entirely on fieldwork. Ethnography requires complete immersion of the anthropologist into the group or culture under study. |
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fête galante (n)
subject popularized by the painter Jean-Antoine Watteau depicting outdoor social gatherings of the upper classes, elegantly dressed or in theatrical costume, engaged in leisure activities such as flirtation, dance, or musicmaking |
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First Crusade (n)
first of a series of wars waged by European Christians between 1096 and 1099 to wrest control of the city of Jerusalem and specific sites of importance in the life of Christ from Muslim powers. During the First Crusade, Jerusalem was captured and a government ruled by a religious authority was installed.
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Flemish (adj)
referring to or deriving from the northern part of present-day Belgium, traditionally referred to as Flanders, in which the Dutch language is spoken. |
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foreshortening (n)
in painting, a perspective device used to create the illusion that objects recede into depth or project from the picture into the viewer’s space
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Franciscan Order (n)
largest monastic order of the Catholic Church, founded in the early 13th century by St. Francis of Assisi, who advocated preaching, penance, and total poverty. Members of the original Franciscan order lived simply and helped the poor and sick.
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French Revolution (n)
series of political upheavals in the late 18th century that reached a climax in 1789 and resulted in the end of the French monarchy. Spurred in part by the rising wealth of merchants and professionals, hostility of peasants to the traditional feudal system, and the general embrace of Enlightenment ideas, the French Revolution unfolded as a series of public revolts and governmental reforms. Internal dissention among the Revolutionaries rendered most of their reforms only sporadically successful until Napoléon Bonaparte gained power in France beginning in 1799. Later revolutions erupted in France in 1830 and 1848. |
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genre (n)
in art, scenes of anonymous figures engaged in everyday activities |
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Gogh, Vincent van
(1853–1890) Dutch artist who worked for most of his short career in Paris and the southern French town of Arles, where he had planned to create an artists’ colony with artist Paul Gauguin. Extremely prolific, van Gogh created over 1,000 drawing and paintings in a 10-year span. His oil paintings are characteristically executed with bold, expressionistic brushstrokes and high-keyed and sometimes jarring color combinations. |
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Grand Tour (n)
popular journey made in the 18th century by wealthy travelers to see the classical ruins and picturesque landscapes of Europe, culminating in a visit to Italy |
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half-tone (n)
in painting and photography, a gray value halfway between a white highlight and dark shadow |
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harem (n)
in Muslim countries, the area of the household set apart for female family members. Harem may also refer to the women—servants, wives, and relatives—themselves. |
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hierarchy (n)
group of persons or objects organized by rank or authority |
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high-keyed (adj)
referring to bright colors free of gray, black, or dark hues; colors that approximate the range of colors seen on a sunny day |
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Holy Land (n)
in the Bible, area of the eastern Mediterranean, including Jordan and Israel, held sacred by Jews, Christians, and Muslims |
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Holy Family (n)
in the Christian religion, Christ; his mother, the Virgin Mary; and her husband, Joseph (others may also be included, such as Elizabeth, the Virgin’s cousin, and her son, John the Baptist) |
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ideal (adj)
in art, that which is represented as perfect in form or character
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Impressionism (n)
progressive style that originated in France in the late 19th century dedicated to capturing the rapidly changing modern world and fleeting moods of nature; characterized by optical blending of pigments to depict the fluctuations of light. Subjects featured views of everyday middle-class life in the city and countryside of France. |
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infidel (n)
an unbeliever with respect to a particular religion
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