Vocabulaire Essentiel pour le GRE - L'Art

the activity of sewing decorative patterns onto a piece of clothing

broderie

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

calligraphie

the art or process of making a particular pattern or object by cutting solid material

sculpture

the art or process of carving an artistic shape or pattern on a hard material

gravure

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

céramique

the practice or art of folding paper into desired shapes, which is originated from Japanese culture

origami

the art or act of making portraits of people

portraiture

a thick piece of handwoven textile with designs or pictures on it that is used for hangings, curtains, etc.

tapisserie

the art of making pictures by sticking photographs, pieces of cloth or colored paper onto a surface

collage

a large painting done on a wall

peinture murale

a group of models or statues arranged in an artistic way, representing a famous historical or fictitious scene

tableau vivant

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

nature morte

a 20th-century style of art and literature in which unrelated events or images are combined in an unusual way to represent the experiences of the mind

surréalisme

a late 19th-century style or movement of art that tried to express thoughts and states of mind in strong words and images, called symbols, and avoided detailed representations of the reality

symbolisme

(of a form of art) characterized by the use of shapes, colors, lines, forms, etc. to convey emotions, concepts, or ideas, rather than illustrating recognizable objects or scenes from the physical world

abstrait

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

baroque

‌a technique used to color designs on fabrics in which wax is applied to the parts that should be left undyed, originally used in the island of Java, Indonesia

batik

a style of art and literature associated with harmony, simplicity, and beauty based on the standards of ancient Greece and Rome, Classicism was popular in Europe from the Renaissance to the 18th century

classicisme

a drawing that depicts the outline of someone or something that is in a single black color and against a light background, often from the side

silhouette

a piece or pencil made of a black substance mostly consisting carbon, used by artists for drawing

charbon de bois

a small stick of white or colored wax or chalk, used for writing or drawing

crayon de couleur

a European style of art in the late 16th century characterized by hyper-idealization and distorted human forms

maniérisme

representing people, animals and objects and forms as they appear in the real world

figuratif

‌a style of art, music, or design that arose in the 1950s and is associated with simplicity and uses only a limited number of elements

minimalisme

a public exhibition of an artist's work over a period of time, showing their career development

rétrospective

the technique of representing a two-dimensional object in a way that gives the right impression of distance by drawing objects and people that are farther in a smaller size

perspective

a thin oval board that a painter uses to mix colors and hold pigments on, with a hole for the thumb to go through

palette

a dry substance that has to be mixed with a liquid to produce paint

pigment

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

muse

a portrait or representation of someone, especially one that looks just like them

portrait

an individual who financially supports an artist, charity, cause, etc.

mécène, parrain, marraine

someone who is in charge of a museum, taking care of a collection, artwork, etc.

conservateur, conservatrice

a pleasing combination of things in a way that forms a coherent whole

harmonie

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

empâtement, impasto

a depiction of Jesus Christ or a holy figure painted on a wooden panel often on a gilded background, venerated by the Eastern Orthodox Church

icône

a sculpture representing someone's head, shoulders, and chest

buste

to form figures and objects by cutting and carving hard materials such as wood, stone, metal, etc.

sculpter

the act of repairing something such as an artwork, building, etc. to be in its original state

restauration

lines and markings in dark color that provide the effect of light and shade in a drawing or painting

ombres

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

magnum opus

the skill or activity of making dishes, pots, etc. using clay

poterie

the art of preserving the dead body of animals by skinning and then filling them with a specific substance in order to use them as decoration

taxidermie

the activity or art of skillfully using one’s hand to create attractive objects

artisanat