Pronunciation: Approximations are given where necessary. The syllables are to be read as English words and with the capital letters accented.
Abbreviations: Lat., Latin; Fr., French; Ger., German; Gk., Greek; It., Italian; Sp.,
Abacus The flat slab on top of a *capital.
Abstract Art Term covers many kinds of non representational art, e.g., action painting, works by Kandinskv, the Cycladic sculptures.
Academy Originally derived from the Akademeia, the grove in which Plato taught his seminars.
Acanthus A plant whose thick leaves are reproduced in stylized form on *Corinthian *capitals (see fig. 9.7).
A cappella (ah ka-PELL-ah; Lat.) Originally unaccompanied music sung "in the chapel." Term now applies to choral music without instrumental accompaniment.
Acoustics The science of sound.
Aerial perspective See *perspective.
Aesthetic Concerned with a sensitivity to the pleasurable and the beautiful; the opposite of anaesthetic.
Aesthetics The study or philosophy of beauty; theory of the fine arts and human responses.
Agnosticism (Gk., agnostos, "unknowing") The impossibility of obtaining knowledge of certain subjects; assertion that people cannot obtain knowledge of God.
Agora In ancient Greece, a marketplace or public square.
Allegory A literary mode with a literal level of meanings plus a set of meanings above and beyond themselves. This second level may be religious, social, political, or philosophical e.g., The Faerie Queen by Spenser is an allegory about Christian virtues.
Alleluia Latinization of the Hebrew Halleluyah ("Praise ye the Lord"). Third item of the Proper of the *Mass.
Altarpiece A painted (or sculptured) panel placed behind an altar.
Ambulatory A passageway around the *apse of a church (see fig. 14. 19).
Amphora Greek vase, usually quite large, with two handles, used to store food staples (see fig. 7.7).
Apocalypse Prophetic revelation given through a symbolic vision Of the future. Apocalyptic literature concerns the final period of world history and depicts the final confrontation between God and the powers of evil, as described, for example, in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament .
A posteriori (a-pos-TEER-e-or-e; Lat., "following after") Reasoning from observed facts to conclusions; inductive; empirical.
A priori (a-pree-OAR-e; Lat., "coming before" ) Reasoning from general propositions to particular conclusions; deductive; nonempirical.
Apse A recess, usually semicircular in the east wall of a Christlan church or, in a Roman basilica, at the wall opposite to the general entrance svav.
Arabesque Literally Arab-like. Elaborate designs of intertwined flowers, foliage, and geometric patterns used in Islamic architecture.
Arcade A series of connected Parches resting on 'columns (see fig 9.8).
Arch A curved structure (semicircular or pointed) spanning a space, usually made of wedge-shaped blocks. Known to the Greeks, who preferred a cpost and lintel system, but exploited by the Remans
Archetype (Gk, niche, "first"; tVpOs, "form") The original pattern of forms of which things in this world are copies.
Architrave The lowest part of an entablature, a horizontal beam or Lintel directly above the ~tcapital (see fig. 7.24).
Archivolt In architectural sculpture the decorative molding carried around an arched wall opening.
Aria (It., AHR-eeah, "air") Solo song (sometimes duet) in Operas, Uoratoriost Cantatas.
Ars antiqua (Lat., "old art") Music of the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
Ars nova (Lat., "nevx art") Music of the fourteenth centul y Outstanding composers were Machaut (France) and Landini (Italy).
Art Nouveau A style of architectures crafts, and design of the 1 890s and a bit later characterized by curvilinear patterns. Examples include Tiffany lamps and the work of Bcardsley and Klimt.
Art song Song intending an artistic combination of words and music, as distinct from popular song or folk song.
Astrolabe An instrument formerly used to determine positions of heavenly bodies. It had a suspended disk with degrees marked on the circumference and a movable pointer at the center. It was succeeded in the eighteenth century by the sextant.
Atheism (Gk., a, "no"; Zheos, "god") The belief that there is no God; also means "not theistic" when applied to those who do not believe in a personal God.
Atonal Music that has no tonal center, in which all notes are of relatively equal importance. In a composition in C major, on the other hand, C is the most important note. Almost all popular music is written in keys such as C major, D major and so on. Most compositions by Schoenberg are atonal.
Atrium The court Of a Roman house, roofless, and near the entrance (see fig. 9.5). Also the open, colonnaded court attached to the front of early Christian churches.
Augustinian Roman Catholic monastic order that uses the old rule of St. Augustine.
Autos (OW-los) A shrill-sounding oboelike instrument associated with the Dionvsian rites of the ancient Greeks. Double-reed instrument normally played in pairs by one performer (see fig. 7.46).
Aureole A circle of light or radiance surrounding the head or body of a representation of a deitv or holy person halo.
Avant-garde (a-vahn-gard) A French term meaning, literally, "advanced guard," used to designate innovators and experimentalists in the various arts.
B
Babylonian Captivity The exile of the Jews, 586-538 BC; also the Church of Rome in Avignon rather than in Rome, 1305 78.
Baldacchino (ball-da-KEEN-o) A canopy over a tomb or altar Of which the most famous is that over the tomb of St. Peter in St. Peter's in Rome designed by Bernini.
Ballad (Lat., hallare, "to dance") Originally a dancing song. A narrative song, usually folk song, but also applied to popular songs.
Ballade Medieval *trouvere song. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries dramatic piano pieces, frequently inspired by Romantic poetry.
Balustrade A railing plus a supporting row of posts.
Banjo Instrument of the ' guitar family, probably introduced into Africa by Arab traders and brought to America on the slave ships. The body consists of a shallow, hollow metal drum with a drumhead on top and open at the bottom. It has four or more strings and is played with fingers or plectrum.
Baptistery Originally a separate building, later a part of the church containing the baptismal font.
Barrel vault See *vault.
Basilica In Roman architecture. a rectangular public building used for business or as a tribunal. Christian churches that use a * cruciform plan are patterned after Roman basilicas. Though basilica denotes an architectural style, the Church of Rome designates a church a basilica if it contains the bones of a saint.
Bas-relief A sculptural term (low relief) used to describe an object with a design slightly projecting from the surface. The opposite of high relief in which the design appears to be almost wholly detached.
Bay In Romanesque and Gothic churches the area between the Xcolumns (see fig. 14.19).
Behaviorism School of psychology that restricts both animal and human psychology to the study of behavior; stresses the role of the environment and conditioned responses to exterior stimuli.
Black-figure technique Greek vase painting in which the subject is incised in black on a light, usually orange, background. In what is essentially silhouette painting, the effect can be very powerful and compelling. Exekias (active 545-525 BC) is the foremost Greek painter of the black-figure technique.
Blank verse Unrhymed iambic pentameter (see *meter) in the English language, much used in Elizabethan drama.
Bourgeoisie The middle class; in Marxist theory, the capitalist class, which is opposed to the proletariat, the lower or industrial working class.
Branle (bruhn-l; Fr., brander, "to sway") Originally, in the Middle Ages, a step in the Basse Danse.
Buttress Exterior support used to counter the lateral thrust of an *arch or *vault. A pier buttress is a solid mass of masomy added to the wall; a flying buttress is typically a pier standing away from the wall from which an arch "flies" from the pier to connect with the wall at the point of outward thrust (see fig. 14.18).
C
Cadence Term in music applied to the concluding portion of a phrase (temporary cadence) or composition (permanent cadence).
Cameo In jewelry, a technique of engraving in relief on a gem or other stone, especially with layers of different
hues, leaving the raised design with one color and the background with another.
Campanile Italian for bell tower, usually freestanding. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a campanile (see fig. 14.12).
Canon (Gk., "law, rule") 1. A body of principles, rules, standards, OT norms. 2. In art and architecture, a criterion for establishing proportion, measure, or scale. 3. In music, in which a melody is imitated strictly and in its entirety by another voice. Canons that have no specified way to end but keep going around are called "rounds," for example, "Three Blind Mice."
Cantata (It., cantare, "to sing") A "sung" piece as opposed to a "sound" (instrumental) piece, for example, *sonata. The term is now generally used for secular or sacred choral works with orchestral accompaniment, which are on a smaller scale than *oratorios.
Cantilever A self-supporting projection that needs no exterior bracing; e.g., a balcony or porch can be cantilevered.
Cantus firmus (Lat., "fixed song") A preexisting melody used as the foundation for a * polyphonic composition. *Plainsong melodies were used for this purpose, but other sources included secular songs, Lutheran *chorales, and *scales. Any preexisting melody may serve as a cantus firmus.
Capital The top or crown of a *column (see fig. 7.24).
Cartoon A full-size preliminary drawing for a pictorial work, usually a large work such as a *mural, *fresco, or tapestry. Also a humorous drawing.
Caryatid (karry-AT-id) A female figure that functions as a supporting *column; male figures that function in a like manner are called atlantes (at-LAN-tees; plural of Atlas; see fig. 7.30).
Catacombs Subterranean Christian cemeteries, e.g. those in the outskirts of Rome, Naples, and Syracuse.
Catharsis (Gk., "purge, purify") Purification, purging of emotions effected by tragedy (Aristotle).
Cella The enclosed chamber in a classical temple that contained the cult statue of the god or goddess after whom the temple was named.
Chamber music Term now restricted to instrumental music written for a limited number of players in which there is only one player to each part, as opposed to orchestral music, which has two or more plavers to some parts, e.g., sixteen or more players on the first violin part. True chamber music emphasizes ensemble rather than solo playing.
Chanson (Fr., "song") A major part of the * troubadour-*trouvere tradition, dating from the eleventh through the fourteenth centuries. Also a generic term for a song with a French text.
Chanson de geste A genre of Old French epic poems celebrating deeds of heroic or historical figures.
Chevet (sheh-vav; Fr., "pillow" ) The eastern end of a church, including *choir, *ambulatory, and *apse.
Chiaroscuro (kee-AR-oh-SKOOR-oh; It.,
"light-dark" ) In the visual arts the use of gradations of light and dark to represent natural light and shadows.
Chinoiserie (she-nwaz-eh-ree; FT.) Chinese motifs as decorative elements for craft objects screens, wallpaper, and furniture; prominent in eighteenth century rococo stole.
Choir That part of the church where the singers and clergy are normally accommodated usually between the * transept and the *apse; also called chancel (see fig. 14.19).
Chorale A *hymn tune of the German Protestant (Lutheran) church.
Chord In music the simultaneous sounding of two or more tones.
Chromatic (Gk., chro7na, "color") The use of notes that are foreign to the musical *scale and have to be indicated by a sharp, flat, natural, etc. The chronzatic scale is involved in these alterations. It consists of twelve tones to an octave, each a semitone apart.
Cire perdue (seer pair-due; Fr., "lost wax") A metal-casting method in which the original figure is modeled in wax and encased in a mold; as the mold is baked the wax melts and runs out, after which the molten metal is poured into the mold.
Clavichord The earliest type of stringed keyboard instrument (twelfth century). Probably developed from the *monochord. It is an oblong box, 24 by 48 inches (61 x 132 cm) with a keyboard of about three octaves. The strings run parallel to the keyboard, as opposed to harpsichords and pianos, in which the strings run at right angles to the keyboard. The keys are struck from below by metal tangents fastened to the opposite ends of elongated keys. The tone is light and delicate but very expressive because the performer can control the loudness of each note. It was sometimes called a "table *clavier" because it was portable.
Clavier Generic term for any instrument of the stringed keyboard family: *clavichord, harpsichord, and piano.
Clef (Fr.l "key" ) In music a symbol placed on the staff to indicate the pitches of the lines and spaces. There are three clefs in use today: G. F. and C. The G clef is used to indicate that the note on the second line is G (treble clef). The F clef is usually used to indicate that F is on the fourth line (bass clef). (See Appendix.)
Clerestor,v In a *basilica or church, the section of an interior wall that rises above the roof of the side aisles and which has numerous windows.
Cloisonne Enamel used for artistic purposes and painted on metal bases. Thin wires of gold, silver, or copper are soldered onto a base plate of the same metal. After these daises (compartments) are filled with powdered glass, the object is baked in an oven until the glass fuses. Additional powdered glass or metal may be enameled for subsequent finngs.
Cloister (Lat. ClaUstrU7tl, "hidden" ). An inner COUIX bounded by covered walks; a standard feature of monastery architecture.
Collage (Fr., "pasting") Paper and other materials pasted on a two-dimensional surface.
Colonnade A series of spaced *columns, usually connected by ' lintels (see fig. 7.21).
Column A vertical support, usually circular, which has a base (except in *Doric style), shaft, and *capital (see fig. 7.24).
Comedy A play or other literal work in which all ends well, properly, or happily. Opposite of * tragedy.
Comitatus Early Anglo-Saxon society was organized in families and clans and centered on the warrior and a system of reciprocity (mutual loyalty) called comitatus .
Concerto (con-CHAIR-toe) A musical work for one or two solo instruments with orchestral accompaniment.
Concerto grosso A musical work for a small group of instruments (usually three or four) with orchestral accompaniment.
Corinthian The most ornate style of Greek architecture, little used by the Greeks but preferred by the Romans; tall, slender, channeled *columns topped by an elaborate * capital decorated with stylized *acanthus leaves (see fig. 9.7).
Cornice The horizontal, projecting member crowning an *entablature.
Cosmology Philosophic study of the origin and nature of the universe.
Counterpoint In music, the art of combining melodies.
Couplet In poetry two successive rhymed lines in the same meter.
Covenant A legal concept often used in the Bible as a metaphor describing the relationship between God and humankind. This idea lies at the heart of the Bible and explains the selection of the word "testament," a synonym for covenant, in naming the two parts of the Bible .
Crocket In Gothic architecture, an ornamental device shaped like a curling leaf and placed on the outer angles of * gables and pinnacles (see fig. 14.35).
Crossing In a church, the space formed by the interception of the *nave and the *transepts.
Cruciform The floor plan of a church in the shape of a *Latin cross (see fig. 14.19).
Cuneiform A writing svstem of ancient Mesopotamia consisting of wedge shapes.
Cupola A rounded roof or ceiling; a small dome.
Daguerrotype Photograph made on a silvercoated glass plate; after L. J. M. Daguerre (1789-1851), the inventor.
Determinism (Lat., de, "from," terminus, "end") The doctrine that all events are conditioned by their causes and that people are mechanical expressions of heredity and environment; in short, we are at the mercy of blind, unknowing natural laws in an indifferent universe.
Deus ex machina (DAY-oos ex ma-KEE-na;
Lat.) In Greek and Roman drama a deity vx ho was brought in by stage machinery to resolve a difficult situation; hence, any unexpected or bizarre device or event introduced to untangle a plot.
Dialectic Associated with Plato as the art of debate by question and answer. Also dialectical reasoning using *syllogisms (Aristotle) or, according to Hegel, the distinctive characteristic of speculative thought.
Didactic Intended to instruct or teach.
Diorite A dense igneous rock, ranked in hardness between gabbro and granite.
Dome A hemispherical *vault; may be viewed as an *arch rotated on its vertical axi s .
Doric The oldest of Greek temple styles, characterized by sturdy *columns with no base and an unornamented cushionlike *capital (see fig. 7.24).
Dormer A uindovxZ set vertically in a small gable projecting from a slopmg roof.
Drum The circular sections that make up the shaft of a *column; also the circular wall on Which a *dome is placed.
Drums Percussion musical instruments hnzrinfr S Skin RtretcheS enter wine ar hash
ends of a frame
Dualism In *metaphysics, a theory that admits two independent substances, e.g., Plato's dualism of the sensible and intelligible worlds, Cartesian dualism of thinking and extended subjects, Kant's dualism of the noumenal and the phenomenal.
Duple meter In music, two beats per measure. Most marches and ragtime music are in duple meter.
Dynamics In music, the degrees of loudness and softness.
Echinus The highest part of the shaft of a Greek * column immediately below the *abacus. It is voider at the top and narrower at the bottom and contains whatever decorative elements the column may have.
Elegy A meditative poem dealing with the idea of death.
Elevation The vertical arrangements of the elements of an architectural design; a vertical projection.
Embossing In metahvorking, the adding of decorative relief designs.
Empiricism The view that the sole sout ce of knowledge is experience, that no knowledge is possible independent of experience.
Enamel A vitreous, usually opaque, protective or decorative coating baked on metal, glass, or ceramic ware. A paint that dries to a hard, glossy surface. Anv glossy, hard coating resembling enamel. such as nail enamel.
Engaged column A non-functional form projecting from the surface o f a wall; used for visual articulation (see fig. 9.6).
Engraving The process of using a sharp instrument to cut a design into a metal plate, usually copper; also the print that is made from the plate after ink has been
added.
Entablature The part of a building of *post and lintel construction between the *capitals and the roof. In classical architecture this includes the *architrave, *frieze, and *cornice (see fig. 7.24).
Entasis (EN-ta-sis) A slight convex swelling in the shaft of a *column.
Epic A lengthv narrative poem dealing with protagonists of heroic proportions and issues of universal significance, e.g., Homer's Naiad.
Epicurean One who believes that pleasure, especially that of the mind, is the highest good.
Epistemology A branch of philosophy that studies the origin, validity, and processes of knov.> ledge.
Eschatology (Gk., eschata, "death") That part of theology dealing with last things: death, judgment, heaven, hell.
Estampie (es-tahm-pea) A dance form popular dulling the twelfth to fourteenth centuries Consists of a series of repeated sections, for example, aa, bb, cc, etc.
Etching A kind of *engraving in which the design is incised into a wax-covered metal plate, after which the exposed metal is etched by a corrosive acid; the print made from the plate is also called an etching.
Ethos In ancient Greek music, the "ethical" character attr ibuted to the various modes. The Dorian was considered strong and manlv; the Phrvgian, ecstatic and passionate; the Lydian, feminine, decadent, and lascivious; the Mixolydian, mournful and gloomy. (See p. 86.)
Eucharist (Gk., ezicharislia, "thanksgiving") The *sacrament of Communion, the taking of Christ's body and blood, that Christ instituted at the Last Supper.
Euphemism An innocuous term substituted f or one considered to be offensive or socially unacceptable, e.g., "passing awav" Ior"dving."
Facade In architecture the face of a building; one or more of the exterior walls of a building, especially the one containing the main entrance.
Fenestration The arrangement of windows or other openings in the walls of a building.
Feudalism A medieval contractual arrangement by which a lord granted land to his vassal in return for military service. Feudalism Was further characterized by the localization of political and economic power in the hands of lords and their vassals.
Fiddle Colloquialism for the violin. Also used to designate the bowed ancestors of the violin, particularly the medieval instrument used to accompany dances.
Finial In Gothic architecture an ornament fitted to the peak of an *arch; any ornamental terminating point, such as the screw-top of a lamp.
Flamboyant Late Gothic architecture of the fifteenth or sixteenth centuries, which featured wave lines and flamelike forms.
Fleche (flesh; Fl., "arrow") In architecture
a slender exterior spire above the intersection of the *nave and *transepts (see fig. 14. 18) .
Flute A woodwind instrument made of wood (originally), silver, gold, or preferably platinum. It is essentially a straight pipe with keys, is held horizontally and played by blowing across a mouthpiece.
Fluting The vertical grooves, usually semicircular, in the shaft of a *column or *pilaster.
Foot A metrical unit in poetry such as the iamb (< Ñ) (see *meter)
Foreshortening Creating the illusion in painting or drawing that the subject is projecting out of or into the frontal plane of a two-dimensional surface.
Forum The public square and or marketplace of an ancient Roman city.
Free verse Verse that uses parallelism and sound effects rather than *meter and rhyme.
Fresco (It., "fresh") Painting on plaster, usually wet plaster, into which the colors sink as the plaster dries so that the fresco becomes part of the wall.
Frieze In architecture, a decorated horizontal band, often embellished with carved figures and molding; the portion of an *entablature between the *architrave and the *cornice above (see fig. 7.24).
Fugue *Polyphonic musical composition in which a single theme is developed by the different musical voices in succession. A favorite style of Baroque composers such as Bach and Handel.
Gable In architecture, the tnangular section at the end of a pitched roof, frequently with a window below.
Genre (zhan-re) In the pictorial arts, a depiction of scenes of everyday life. In literature, the type of workÑepic, novel, and so on.
Gesso White chalky pigment bound in a water and glue medium, used as a ground on wood and other supports in painting and gilding.
Gnosticism The doctrines of certain early Christian cults (particularly in Egypt) that valued inquiry into spiritual truth above faith.
Goliards Wandering scholars of the tenth through the thirteenth centuries: students, voung ecclesiastics, dreamers, and the disenchanted.
Gospels In the Bible, New Testament accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) of the life and teachings of Christ.
Gouache (goo-ahsh; Fr.) Watercolor made opaque by adding zinc white.
Graphic arts Visual arts that are linear in character: drawing, engraving, printing, printmaking, typographic, and advertising design.
Great Schism Separation of Eastern Orthodox Churches from the church of Rome in 1054; rival popes of the Church of Rome in Rome, Avignon, and Pisa, 1378-1417.
Greek cross A cross in which the four arms are of equal length.
Gregorian chant See plainsong.
Groin In architecture the edge (groin) formed by the intersection of two *vaults (see fig. 14.10).
Guild An association of persons of the same trade, pursuits, or interests, formed for their mutual aid and protection and the maintenance of standards; in the Middle Ages a society of merchants or artisans.
Guitar A plucked string instrument with a flat body and six strings (modern guitar). Brought into Europe during the Middle Ages by the Moorish conquest of Spain.
Harmony In music the simultaneous combination of notes in a chord.
Harp Musical instrument consisting of upright, open triangular frame with fortysix strings of graduated length.
Harpsichord Actually a harp turned on its side and played by means of quills or leather tongues operated by a keyboard. It was the most common keyboard instrument of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries and is again being built today in increasing numbers.
Hatching A series of closely spaced parallel lines in a drawing or print giving the effect of shading.
Hedonism The doctrine that pleasure or pleasant consciousness are intrinsically good; that pleasure is the properÑand the actualÑ motive for every choice.
Heroic couplet Two successive lines of rhymed iambic pentameter, used, e.g., in Pope's Essay on Man.
Hieratic (hye-uh-RAT-ik) Of or used by priests; priestly.
Hieroglyphics Symbols or pictures giving written form to syllables or sounds; writing system of ancient Egyptians.
Holy Roman Empire Political body embracing most of central Europe from 962 to 1806. "Roman" because it claimed succession to imperial Rome. "Holy" because it originally claimed supremacy over Christendom.
Homophonic (Gk., "same sound") Music in which a single melodic line is supported by chords or other subordinate material (percussion instruments).
Horn Wind instrument made of brass.
Hubris (HU-bris) Tragic flaw, i.e., excessive pride or arrogance that harms other people and brings about the downfall of the person with the flaw.
Hue The attribute of a color. The chief colors of the spectrum are: red, yellovi, blue (primary); green, orange, violet (secondary).
Humanism "Man is the measure of all things" (Protagoras) and "Many are the wonders of the world, and none so wonderful as man" (Sophocles) give the essence of humanism. The Greeks conceived their gods as perfect human beings, free from infirmities and immortal, but subject to human passions and ambitions. The Renaissance conception of man as the potential master
of all things arose out of the awakening to the glories of Greece and Rome.
Hydraulis Ancient Greek pipe *organ, probably invented in the Middle East 300-200 BC. Air for the pipes was provided by hydraulic pressure and the pipes activated by a keyboard. Originally the tone was delicate and clear, but the Romans converted it into a noisy outdoor instrument by a large increase in air pressure.
Hydria Greek vase designed to hold water (see fig. 7.6).
Hymn A poem of praise, usually, but not necessarily, sacred. The music accompanying a hymn is called the hymn tune.
Icon (EYE-kon; Gk., "image") Twodimensional representation of a holy person; in the Greek church a panel painting of a sacred personage
Iconography Visual imagery used to convey concepts in the visual arts; the study of symbolic meanings in the pictorial arts.
Illumination Decorative illustrations or designs, associated primarily with medieval illuminated manuscripts (see fig. 14.1).
Impasto (It., "paste") A painting style in which the pigment is laid on thickly, as in many of van Gogh's paintings.
Incarnation Denotes the embodiment of a deity in human form, a frequent idea in mythology. Vishnu is believed by Hindus to have had nine incarnations. For Christians the incarnation is a central dogma referring to the belief that the Son of God, the second of the Trinity, became man in the person of Jesus Christ.
Inductive method The process of arriving at a general conclusion from a set of particular facts.
Intaglio (in-TAL-yo) A graphic technique in which the design is incised; used on seals, gems, and dies for coins and also for the kinds of printing and printmaking that have a depressed ink-bearing surface.
Ionic A style of Greek classical architecture using slender, *fluted *columns and * capitals decorated with scrolls and *volutes (see fig. 7.24).
Isocephaly (I-so-SEPH-uh-ly) In the visual arts a convention that arranges figures so that the heads are at the same height (see fig. 7.1 9).
Jamb figure Sculpted figure flanking the portal of a Gothic church
Jihad Muslim holy war; a Muslim crusade against unbelievers.
Jongleurs (zho-gleur) French professional musicians (minstrels) of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries who served the * troubadours and *trouveres.
Keystone The central wedge-shaped stone makes the arch stable.
Kibla The point toward which Muslims turn when praying, toward Mecca.
Kithara (KITH-a-ra) The principal stringed instrument of the ancient Greeks. Essentially a larger version of the Pyre, it has a U-shaped form and usually seven to eleven strings running vertically from the cross-arm down to the sound box at the base of the instrument. The legendary instrument of Apollo.
Kore Archaic Greek sculpture of a standing, clothed female figure
Kouros Archaic Greek sculpture of a standing, usually nude, male figure
Lancet arch In architecture, a narrow arch Madrigal Name of uncertain origin that pointed at the top like a spear.
Lancet window In architecture a tall, narrow window set in lancet arch.
Lantern In architecture, a small decorative structure that crowns a *dome or roof.
Lapis lazuli Long valued as a deep blue ornamental gem and the source of ultramarine pigment, lapis lazuli is a contact metamorphic rock that varies in composition and physical property. It is distinguished from jasper by tiny flecks of gold and the absence of the colorless quartz crystals present in jasper.
Latin cross A cross in which the vertical member is longer than the horizontal arm it bisects.
Libretto (It., "little book") The text or words of an *opera, *oratorio, or other extended vocal work.
Lied, Lieder (Ger., leet, LEE-der; "song, songs"). Term usually applied to the German Romantic *art songs of Schubert, Schumann, others.
Lintel In architecture, a horizontal crosspiece over an open space, which carries the weight of some of the superstructure
Lithography A printmaking process that uses a polished stone (or metal plate) on which the design is drawn with a crayon or greasy ink. Ink is chemically attracted only to the lines of the drawing, with a print made by applying paper to the inked stone.
Liturgical Pertaining to public worship, specifically to the organized worship patterns of Christian churches.
Liturgical drama Twelfth- and thirteenth century enactments of biblical stories, frequently with music. Developed into the "mystery plays" of the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries.
Lituus (Lat.) Bronze *trumpet used by the Roman armies. Shaped like the letter J.
Logos (Gk., logos, "speech, word, reason") Cosmic reason, considered in Greek philosophy as the source of world intelligibility and order.
Lost-wax process See *cire perdue.
Lunette In architecture, a crescent-shaped or semicircular space, usually over a door or a window.
Lute Plucked string instrument with a pear-shaped body and a fingerboard with frets. It had eleven strings tuned to six notes (five sets of double strings plus a single string for the highest note). It was the most popular instrument during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
Lyre (or Lyra) Ancient Greek instrument, a simpler form of the *kithara. The soundbox was often made of a tortoise shell. Used mainly by amateurs. The larger kithara was used by professional musicians (see fig. 7.45).
Lyric Poetry sung to the accompaniment of a * Iyre (Greek); *troubadour and *trouvere poetry intended to be sung; short poems with musical elements.
Madrigals Name of uncertain origin which refers to fourteenth-centurv vocal music or, more usually, to the popular sixteenth-century type. Renaissance madrigals were free-form vocal pieces (usually set to love lyrics) in a * polyphonic style with intermixed *homophonic sections. Flemish, Italian and English composers brought the madrigal to a high level of expressiveness in word painting and imagery. Madrigals were sometimes accompanied but mostly *a cappella.
Magi The Magi (singular Magus) were the priestly hierarchy of Zoroastrianism. Like the Brahmans of India, they were keepers of the cult and of sacrificial power and exercised considerable political influence when Zoroastrianism was the Persian state religion. Christians honor them as the first Gentiles to believe in Christ and celebrate their visit to Bethlehem, as told in the Bible, by the feast of the Epiphany.
Manifest Destiny The belief that the United States was destined to extend from sea to sea so that it could bring the blessings of liberty to the entire continent. The westward expansion was also seen as a moral obligation to enlarge the area of freedom, thereby keeping the lands from falling to a tyrant.
Manorialism The economic, social, and administrative system that prevailed in medieval Europe. Originating in the fourth century, it peaked in the twelfth century and then began a long decline that ended only in modern times.
Mass The central service of public worship of some Christian churches, principally the Church of Rome.
Materialism The doctrine that the only reality is matter; that the universe is not governed by intelligence or purpose but only by mechanical cause and effect.
Meander The Greek fret or key pattern used in art or architecture. From a winding, turning course, like a river.
Measure In music, the metrical unit between two bars on the *staff; a bar.
Melisma A melodic unit sung to one syllable; -'plainsong has frequent melismatic passages.
Metaphor A form of figurative language that compares dissimilar objects (e.g., publicity is a two-edged sword; the moon is blue).
Metaphysics Philosophic inquiry into the ultimate and fundamental reality; "the science of being as such."
Meter In music, a grouping of beats into patterns of two, three, or four beats or combinations thereof; in English poetrv the basic rhythmic pattern of stressed (Ñ) and unstressed (I) syllables. Metrical patterns include: iambic (aÑ), Irochaic (Ñ-), anapestic (- vÑ), and dactylic (Ñ- -).
Metope (MET-o-pay) In classical architecture the panel between two *triglyphs in a *Doric *frieze; may be plain or carved. The Parthenon metopes are all carved (see fig. 7.28).
Mihrab A niche inserted in the wall of a mosque indicating the direction of Mecca so that all worshipers may face Mecca.
Minaret A tall, slender tower attached to a Muslim mosque from which a muezzin calls the faithful to prayer (see fig. 11.15).
Minibar The high pulpit from which the Islamic preacher delivers the sermon. Originally used by judges administering the law.
Modes, rhythmic A thirteenth-century system of music rhythmic notation based on the patterns of poetic meter. Rhythmic modes give the characteristic flavor to thirteenth-century * organum and *motets because of the constant repetition of the same rhythmic patterns. All modes were performed in so-called "perfect" * meter, that is, triple.
Monism (Gk., cones, "single") The philosophical position that there is but one fundamental reality. The classical advocate of extreme monism was Parmenides of Elea; Spinoza is a modern exponent.
Monochord A device consisting of a single string stretched over a soundboard with a movable bridge. Used to demonstrate the laws of acoustics, especially the relationships between intervals and stnng lengths and the tuning of * scales (see fig. 1 5.2).
Monophonic (Gk., "one sound") A single line of music without accompaniment or additional parts, as in *plainsong, * troubadour-* trouvere-minnesinger songs, and some folk songs.
Monotheism The religious conception of a single, transcendent god. It contrasts with polytheism (belief in many gods) and pantheism (belief in God as synonymous with the universe). Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are the principal monotheistic religions.
Montage (mon-tahzh) A composition made of existing photographs, paintings, or drawings; in cinematography the effects achieved by superimposing images or using rapid sequences.
Moor The terns Moor (Sp., moro) is derived from "Mauretania," the Roman name for present-day Morocco and Algeria. As the Islamic tide swept across
Africa it was joined by the Berbers of this region, who invaded Spain in 711, where they remained in power for eight centuries.
Mosaic The technique of embedding bits of stone, colored glass, or marble in wet concrete to make designs or pictures for walls or floors. To achieve a complex interplay of light and shadows, the bits are set in the holding material with minute differences in the angles, as in the mosaics of San Vitale in Ravenna (see figs. 11.13 and 11.14).
Mosque A place of public worship in the Islamic religion. The term is from the Arabic masjid, "a place to prostrate one's self [in front of God]."
Motet (from Fr., mot, "word") The most important form of early *polyphonic music (ca. thirteenth to seventeenth centuries). Medieval motet (thirteenth to fourteenth centuries). Usually three parts (triplum, motetus, *tenor). The tenor "holds" to a *cantus firmus and the upper two voices sing different texts (sacred and/or secular).
Mullion A vertical member that divides a window into sections; also used to support the glass in stained glass windows.
Mural A painting on a wall; a *fresco is a type of mural.
Mythology Collections of stories explaining natural phenomena, customs, institutions, religious beliefs, and so forth of a people. Usually concerned with the supernatural, gods, goddesses, heroic exploits, and the like.
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Narthex A porch or vestibule of a church through which one passes to enter the *nave (see fig. 14.19).
Naturalism The view that the universe requires no supernatural cause or government, that it is self-existent, selfexplanatory, self-operating, and selfdirecting, and that it is purposeless, deterministic, and only incidentally productive of humanity. In relation to literature sometimes defined as "realism on all fours." The dominant traits of literary naturalism are biological determinism (people are what they must be because of their genes) and environmental determinism (people are what they are because of how they are brought up.)
Nave The main central space of a church running from the entrance to the *crossing of the * transepts; typically flanked by one or two side aisles. Name derived from naval because the barrel *vault ceiling has the appearance of the inside hull of a ship (see fig. 14. 19).
Neoplatonists The Florentine Neoplatonists derived some of their ideas from Plotinus, the founder of Neoplatonism, from Plato, and from Christian mysticism.
Neume (From Gk., pneuma, "breath") Sign used in notation of medieval *plainsong.
Nimbus In Christian iconography, a device symbolizing sanctity, usually a radiance or a bright circle.
Notre Dame school The composers of the twelfth- and thirteenth-century cathedral school at Notre Dame de Paris, most notable Leonin and Perotin. The Notre Dame school invented rhythmic notation for *polyphonic music.
Obbligato In music, an essential instrumental part, second in importance only to the principal melody.
Oboe (From Fr., haut bois, "high wind," that is, high-pitched instrument) A doublereed, soprano range instrument with a conical bore (slightly expanding diameter from reed to bell). It has a nasal, but mellow and poignant, tone.
Octave In music, the interval of eight diatonic degrees between tones, one of which has twice as many vibrations per second as the other.
Odalisque (oh-da-leesk) French word for a harem slave or concubine but used more broadly to refer to a reclining female figure, a favorite subject of such painters as Ingres and Matisse.
Ode A formal lyric on a usually dignified theme, in exalted language, e.g., works by Horace.
Office hours In the Church of Rome, the services (usually observed only in monastic churches) that take place eight times a day (every three hours): Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline. Musically the important services are Matins, Vespers, and Compline.
Oligarchy (Gk., "rule by the few") A form of government in which a small group of people holds the ruling power. Some political theorists believe that even democratic governments can end up in the hands of an oligarchy ("iron law of oligarchy").
Onomatopoeia A word that sounds like its referent, e.g., the bee buzzes.
Ontology (Gk., on, "being," logos, "logic") Philosophic inquiry into the ultimate nature of things, what it means to be.
Open score In music, one voice part per *staff.
Opera (From It., opera in musica, "works in music") A play in which the text is generally sung throughout to the accompaniment of an orchestra. Modern opera had its beginnings in Florence in the late sixteenth century when some musicians, poets, and scholars attempted a revival of Greek drama, which they assumed to have been sung throughout.
Oratorio A musical setting of a religious or epic theme for performance by soloists, chorus, and orchestra in a church or concert hall. Originally (early seventeenth century) it was similar to an *opera (sacred opera) with staging, costumes, and scenery. It is now usually presented in concert form, for example, Messiah by G. F. Handel.
Orchestra (From Gk., orcheisthai, "to dance") In ancient Greek theatres the circular or semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus; group of instrumentalists performing ensemble music, e.g., symphony orchestra.
Organ, pipe organ An instrument (see * Hydraulic) of ancient origin consisting of from two to seven keyboards (manuals) and a set of pedals (usually thirty-two notes) for the feet.
Organum (OR-ga-num; Lat.) The name given to the earliest types of polyphonic muslc.
Ornamentation In music, the added trills and turns that make lines, usually the melodic lines, more elaborate.
Pantheism (Gk., pan, "all," theos, "god") As a religious concept, the doctrine that God is immanent in all things.
Patrician Member of the hereditary aristocratic class of ancient Rome and entitled to privileges denied other citizens. By the third century BC the plebeians substantially diminished the patricians' privileged position. The distinction between the two classes became blurred during the empire and "patrician" eventually became an honorific title.
Pax Romana The period from the rule of Caesar Augustus through Marcus Aurelius (27 BC-AD 180) in which there were no major wars anywhere in the Roman Empire.
Pediment In classical architecture, a triangular space at the end of a building framed by the *cornice and the ends of the sloping roof (* raking cornices). (See fig. 7.24.)
Pendentive In architecture, a concave triangular piece of masonry, four of which form a transition from a square base to support the circular rim of a *dome (see fig. 11.12).
Pentateuch The first five books of the Bible, the so-called "Books of Moses": Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Percussion Instruments that are played by striking, shaking, scraping, etc.
Peristyle A series of *columns that surround the exterior of a building or the interior of a court, e.g., the Parthenon has a peristvle (see fig. 7.26).
Perspective The illusion of a threedimensional world on a two-dimensional surface. Linear perspective uses lines of projection converging on a *vanishing point, with objects appearing smaller the further from the viewer. Aerial (atmospheric) perspective uses diminished color intensity and blurred contours for objects apparently deeper in space.
Pier A mass of masonry, usually large, used to support *arches or *lintels; more massive than a *column and with a shape other than circular.
Pieta (pyay-TA; It., "pity, compassion") Representations of the Virgin mourning the body of her Son.
Pilaster A flat *column projecting from the wall of a building; usually furnished with a base and *capital in the manner of an * engaged column, which is rounded rather than rectangular like the pilaster.
Plainsong The term generally used for the large body of nonmetrical, monophonic, liturgical music of the Church of Rome; also called Gregorian chant.
Polyphony (po-LIF-o-nee) Polyphonic (pollyPHON-ik), that is, "many-voiced" music having melodic interest in two or more simultaneous melodic lines. Examples of polyphonic music would be canons and *rounds.
Polytheism The belief in and worship of many gods.
Portico A porch or walkway with a roof supported by *columns.
Positivism Philosophic inquiry limited to problems open to scientific investigation. Traditional subjects such as *aesthetics and * metaphysics are dismissed as "meaningless" because their content cannot be subjected to verification.
Post and lintel A structural system in which vertical supports or *columns support horizontal beams. The *lintel can span only a relatively short space because the weight of the superstructure centers on the mid-point of the horizontal beam. In a structural system using *arches the thrust is distributed to the columns supporting the bases of the arches, thus allowing for a greater span. The lintel is also called an *architrave. (See fig. 7.21.)
Pragmatism (Gk., pragma, "things done") Philosophic doctrine that the meaning of a proposition or course of action lies in its observable consequences and that its meaning is the sum of its consequences. In everyday life the favoring of practical means over theory; if something works, it's good; if not, it's bad.
Primary colors The *hues of red, yellow and blue with which the colors of the spectrum can be produced. Primary colors cannot be produced by mixing.
Program music Music intended to depict ideas, scenes, or other extramusical concepts.
Proscenium (Gk., pro, "before," skene, "stage") In traditional theatres the framework of the stage opening.
Psalm A sacred song, poem, or *hymn; the songs in the Old Testament book of Psalms.
Psalter Vernacular name for the book of Psalms.
Psaltery Ancient or medieval instrument consisting of a flat soundboard over which a number of strings are stretched. A psaltery is plucked with the fingers. The *harpsichord is a keyed psaltery.
Purgatory In the teaching of the Church of Rome, the state after death in which the soul destined for heaven is purged of all taint of unpunished or unrepented minor sms.
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Quadrivium The higher division of the * seven liberal arts in the Middle Ages: arithmetic, astronomy, geometry, and music.
Quatrain A stanza of four lines, either rhymed or unrhymed.
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Raking cornice The end *cornice on the sloping sides of a triangular *pediment.
Rayonnant (Fr., "radiant") The ultimate phase of High Gothic architecture that emphasizes soaring lines and vast expanses of stained glass walls (see fig. 14.26).
Rebec A small, bowed medieval string instrument adapted from the Arabian rehab. One of the instruments from which the violin developed during the sixteenth century (see fig. 15.3).
Recorder A straight, end-blown *flute, as distinct from the modern side-blown (transverse) flute. It was used from the Middle Ages until the eighteenth century and has been revived in the twentieth century.
Red-figure style Incised, shaded orange figures against a jet black background. The technique was capable of infinite subtleties. Euphronios (fl. 520-505 BC) was probably the greatest painter in the style, though many artists were noteworthy.
Refrain Recurring section of text (and usually music), e.g., verse-refrain.
Register In music, the range of an instrument or voice, described as high, middle, or low.
Relief In sculpture, carvings projecting from a background that is a part of the whole. Reliefs may be high (almost disengaged from the background) or low (*bas-relief; slightly raised above the background).
Reliquary (Fr., "remains") A receptacle for storing or displaying holy relics.
Round In music a commonly used name for a circle *canon. At the conclusion of a melody the singer returns to the beginning, repeating the melody as often as desired. Examples: "Brother James " "Three Blind Mice," and "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."
Sacrament In Christianity, one of certain ceremonial observances held to be instituted by Christ when on earth.
Sahn A ritual pool in mosque courtyards in which the faithful make their ablutions.
Salon The French equivalent and precursor of the Royal Academy exhibitions. It derived its name from the Salon d 'Apollon in the Louvre. It became a biennial feature in 1737 and annual after the Revolution. In the nineteenth century the admissions system was so exclusive that the Salon des Refuses arose as a shortlived alternative.
Salon d'Automne In Paris, the annual fall exhibition of contemporary art.
Sanctuary A sacred or holy place set aside for the worship of a god or gods; a place of refuge or protection.
Sarcophagus A stone coffin.
Satire An indictment of human foibles using humor as a weapon, e.g., the relatively mild satires of Horace and the bitter ones of Juvenal and Jonathan Swift.
Scale (Lat., "ladder") The tonal material of music arranged in a series of rising or falling pitches. Because of the variety in the world's music there are many different scales. The basic scale of European music is the diatonic scale (C-D-E-F-G A-B-C), i.e., the white keys of the piano. This arrangement of tones is also called a major scale, in the example given, a C major scale. (See Appendix.)
Scherzo In music, a lively symphonic movement, usually in 3/4 time.
Scholasticism The philosophy and method of medieval theologians in which speculation was separated from observation and practice, revelation was regarded as both the norm and an aid to reason, reason respected authority, and scientific inquiry was controlled by theology.
Secondary colors Those *hues located between the *primary colors on a traditional color wheel: orange, green, and violet.
Sequence A type of chant developed in the Early Middle Ages in which a freely poetic text was added to the long melisma at the end of the Alleluias. Subsequently separated from the Alleluias, the sequences became independent syllabic chants. The composition of many original sequences finally led to the banning of all but five sequences by the Council of Trent ( I 545-63).
Seven liberal arts Term originally used to mean studies suited to freemen and consisting of * tnvium (grammar, logic, rhetonc) and * quadnvium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music).
Sfumato (foo-MAH-toe) A hazy, smoky blending of color tones in a painting to create ambiguities of line and shape, as in Leonardo's Mona Lisa.
Silkscreen Stencil process. Closely woven silk is tacked tightly over a frame; areas on the silk not to be printed are "stopped out" before paint is squeezed through the silk mesh onto cloth or paper underneath.
Simile A companson between two quite different things, usually using "like" or "as."
Skene (SKAY-nuh) The Greek stage building, originally of wood, at the rear of the orchestra.
Sonata (From It., sonare, "to sound") A musical composition, usually in three or four movements (sections) for a piano or *organ or a solo instrument (*violin *trumpet, etc.) with keyboard accompaniment.
Sonnet A fourteen-line poem in iambic pentameter (see *meter). Petrarch, the fourteenth-century Italian poet, used a rhyming scheme of abbaabba followed by cde cde or variants thereof. Shakespeare used a rhyming scheme of abab cdcd efef gg, or four *quatrains followed by a rhymed couplet.
Sphinx A creature in Egyptian mythology that combined the body of an animal (usually a lion) with the head of a man. In the story of Oedipus the sphinx became a winged monster with the body of a lion and the head of a woman.
Squinch In architecture, a device to effect a transition from a polygonal base to a circular *dome (see fig. 11.12).
Staff In music, the set of horizontal lines and spaces on which notes are written or printed. (See Appendix.)
Stele (STEE-lee) A carved slab of stone or pillar used especially by the Greeks as a grave marker (see fig. 7.19).
Still life In pictorial arts, inanimate objects used as subject matter.
Stucco A durable finish for exterior walls, applied wet and usually composed of cement, sand, and lime.
Stylobate The third of three steps of a Greek temple on which the *columns rest; essentially the platform on which the *Celia and * peristyle are erected (see fig. 7 .24).
Syllogism A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. Example: all men are mortal; Socrates is a man; therefore Socrates is mortal.
Symphony A long composition for orchestra, consisting of related movements, usually four in number.
Teleology (Gk., telos, "end, completion") The theory of purpose, ends, goals, final cause; opposite of materialism.
Tempera A painting technique using pigment suspended in egg yolk.
Tenor (Lat., tenere, "to hold") 1. Originally the part that "held" the melody on which early sacred *polyphonic music was based. 2. The highest male voice (S A T B). 3. Prefix to the name of an instrument, e.g., tenor saxophone.
Terra-cotta (It., "baked earth") A baked clay used in ceramics and sculptures; a reddish color.
Tesserae (TESS-er-ee) Bits of stone and colored glass used in *mosaics.
Theatre (From Gk. theasthai, "to view, to see") This is not only a structure or "seeing place" but the sum of all the arts required for the production of dramas.
Theocracy (Gk., "rule by God") A form of government in which divine authority is paramount or in which religious leaders play the leading role. The term was first used by the Jewish historian, Josephus, who applied it to the politics of ancient Israel.
Thrust The outward force caused by the weight and design of an *arch or *vault, a thrust that must be countered by a *buttress (see fig. 14.18).
Timbre The quality of a sound that distinguishes it from other sounds of the same pitch and volume; especially the distinctive tone color of a musical instrument or voice.
Time signature In music a symbol, commonly a numerical fraction, placed on a staff to indicate the meter. (See Appendix . )
Torah (Hebrew, "instruction") Applied in particular to the written Mosaic law contained in the first five books of the BibleÑGenesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and DeuteronomyÑalso called the *Pentateuch.
Toreutics Hammering metals to make various shapes.
Tracery In architecture, the lacy openstone work in Gothic windows; from trace, "to draw."
Tragedy A serious play or other literary work with an unhappy or disastrous ending caused, in Greek drama, by *hubris on the part of the protagonist.
Transcendental Beyond the realm of the senses; rising above common thought or ideas; exalted.
Transept That part of a *cruciform-plan church whose axis intersects at right angles the long axis of the cross running from the entrance through the *nave to the *apse; the cross-arm of the cross.
Triforium In a Gothic cathedral, the gallery between the *nave arcades and the * clerestory; the triforium gallery opens on the *nave with an *arcade (see fig. 14.23).
Triglyph Projecting block with vertical channels that alternates with *metopes in a *Doris * frieze of a Greek temple. The ends of the marble beams are stylized versions of the wooden beams used in early temples.
Trilogy A grouping of three, usually applied to the three related tragedies that Greek dramatists submitted evely year to the judges. The most famous trilogy is the Oresteia bv Aeschv]us.
Trinity In Christian belief, the union of three divine figures, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in one Godhead.
Trivium The lower division of the *seven liberal arts in the Middle Ages: grammar, logic, and rhetoric, including literature.
Trompe-l'oeil (trohmp luh-yuh; Fr.) Illusionistic painting designed to convince the observer that what is seen is an actual three-dimensional object rather than a two-dimensional surface; literally, "eye fooling."
Trope Additional text and/or music added to a preexisting *plainsong. The earliest tropes were *sequences. Troping became so widespread that it was banned by the Council of Trent. *Liturgical drama was a direct outgrowth of the trope.
Troubadours Poet-musicians, mostly men and women of aristocratic birth, of southern France (Provence) who, during the period ca. 1100 1300, cultivated the arts of poetry and music in chivalrous service to romantic love. Their music was *monophonic in style and popular in flavor but exerted considerable influence on the development of *polyphonic muslc.
Trouveres Poet-musicians of central and northern France from ca. l l 50 to 1300. Their music developed from the *troubadours and showed the same general characteristics except for the change in language from that of the south (Provencal) to the medieval forerunner of modern French.
Trumpet Soprano brass-wind instrument consisting of long metal tube looped once and ending in a flared bell.
Truss roof In architecture, a framework of wooden beams or metal bars, often arranged in triangles, and used to support a roof.
Tuscan order Simplified form of the Doric order.
Tympanum The space, usually elaborately carved, enclosed by the *lintel and *arch of a doorway; also, the space within the horizontal and *raking cornices of a *pediment (see fig. 14.11).
Vanishing point In linear *perspective the point at which parallel lines converge on the horizon.
Vault A masonry ceiling constructed on the principle of the *arch. A bagel vault is an uninterrupted series of arches amounting to a very deep arch.
Viol Any of a family of string instruments, chiefly in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Virelai Any of several medieval French verse and song forms.
Virginal A harpsichord used mainly in England and supposedly played by young ladies.
Volute The spiral scrolls of an *Ionic * capital.
Voussoir (voo-SWAHR; Fr.) The wedgeshaped blocks of stone used to construct *arches and *vaults.
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Woodcut A wood block that has been carved so that the design stands out slightly from the block, comparable to printing type.
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Ziggurat A temple tower of the ancient Mesopotamians (see p. 8).