Art terms
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- AppliedApplied art is art with a practical use, a function, such as buildings, furniture, clothing, print work and the like. Applied art is also known as decorative art, industrial art or arts and crafts. The term arts and crafts relates in particular to crafts such as woodwork, bookbinding, ceramics and jewellery making. Until the Renaissance, no distinction was made between the 'fine arts' and the 'applied arts'. During the Middle Ages there was no difference between artists and craftsmen. During the Renaissance, this distinction was increasingly drawn. Artists started to place themselves above craftsmen and aspire to the same status as that of scientists or philosophers. The real division came only in the 18th and 19th centuries, in part as a result of the rise of factory production. The following are regarded as applied arts: - architecture - industrial design - interior design - graphic design - photography - fashion design - jewellery making. Well-known movements in applied art are Jugendstil/ Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Bauhaus.
© Wallpaper, The Original Morris & Co - Action Painting
Action painting is a painting technique from the abstract expressionistic art, in which the end result of the painting is secondary to the act of painting itself. This technique was mainly popular in the 1940s. The fast, spontaneous movements of the artist are clearly visible in the artwork. An icon of action painting is Jackson Pollock (1912 – 1956), but artists such as Karel Appel and Willem de Kooning can be called action painters as well.
© Jackson Pollock - Academic art
Academic art evolved in nineteenth century European art academies and universities. The term is mainly used when referring to the Académie des Beaux-Arts, a school that was founded in 1816 in Paris, combining the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture (1648), the Académie de musique (1669) and the Académie royale d’architecture (1671). Students at the academy had to follow strict rules. The biggest part of their education consisted of drawing, while painting was only taught at a much later stage. Students learnt to observe old masters and to copy classical works. Academic art can thus be recognized by its classical and realistic form.
© Michel-Martin Drolling
- AppliedApplied art is art with a practical use, a function, such as buildings, furniture, clothing, print work and the like. Applied art is also known as decorative art, industrial art or arts and crafts. The term arts and crafts relates in particular to crafts such as woodwork, bookbinding, ceramics and jewellery making. Until the Renaissance, no distinction was made between the 'fine arts' and the 'applied arts'. During the Middle Ages there was no difference between artists and craftsmen. During the Renaissance, this distinction was increasingly drawn. Artists started to place themselves above craftsmen and aspire to the same status as that of scientists or philosophers. The real division came only in the 18th and 19th centuries, in part as a result of the rise of factory production. The following are regarded as applied arts: - architecture - industrial design - interior design - graphic design - photography - fashion design - jewellery making. Well-known movements in applied art are Jugendstil/ Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Bauhaus.
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- Bauhaus
The Bauhaus was a design academy, founded by Walter Gropius in 1919 in Germany. In the Bauhaus, art, craftsmanship and architecture were combined. Students could follow classes in many various techniques, such as woodworking, bookbinding, ceramics and painting. The academy embraced modern techniques and was open to industrial production. The Bauhaus is a good example of the international style; efficient, clean lines, simple shapes, and functional above all.
© László Moholy-Nagy - BurinA tool used for engraving. The burin has a V- or U-shaped point to cut lines in a sheet, in such a way that a relief is created. The grooves are filled with ink and then the image is ready to be printed.
© Museum Rotterdam - Bronze CastingBronze casting is a technique in which sculptures are cast in bronze. Within casting bronze many different types of methods are possible to create an image. Bronze itselfs is an alloy of copper and tin, and it is therefor quite hard and meltable. The texture of the metal ensures that the bronze is the perfect base of casting images.
Within this techniqe, the two best known methods are the lost-wax method and the sand casting method. The lost-wax method is also called by it’s french name “Cire Perdue”.
© Lorenzo Ghiberti
- Bauhaus
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- CanvasFrom the 15th century, painters started to choose canvas over panel. Not many early works on canvas have been preserved, since they were very fragile. This is due to the fact that painters didn’t know how to prepare the canvas to make it last longer. From the 16th century, artists started to prepare their canvas more. Therefore, more work from this period has been saved.
The canvas, often linen, is sewn around a temporary wooden construction. The artist decides the tension of the linen. Once the painting is finished, it is transferred to a stretcher, the final construction. Nowadays it is more common to skip the temporary construction. Instead many artists place their linen directly on the final stretcher.
The difference in the structure of the linen can be used to create different effects. This is highly visible in the work of, for example, Titian and Rembrandt, who experimented with different weaving techniques.
© Fotograaf: Ivo Hoekstra. Kunstwerk: Jan Steen, Mauritshuis - Collodion
It is often forgotten that analogue photography still exists. Most people think of film or rolls of film when they hear the term analogue photography, but the first steps in analogue photography were taken using glass plate or lacquered metal plates. One of these early processes is the wet plate collodion process, which is currently experiencing a renaissance. It is a form of photography which cannot be compared to any other. The photos are characterised by unbelievably beautiful detail and a warm tone scale. The materials and equipment required are hard to get hold of, and information is only sparingly available. You work with various chemicals and it is important to know what you must and must not do.
© Robert Szabo Photography - Copperplate engravingOld intaglio printing technique in printmaking (1446: the oldest dated copperplate engraving). Lines are incised into the soft copperplate using special knives (burins). By exerting more or less pressure on the burin, the line can be made very fine or thick. The resistance of the material means the lines are not completely free and have a characteristic shape. We see lines which are more or less 'eel-shaped'. The burin used makes a thin line at the start, becoming thicker in the middle of the line and once again more compact as it leaves the copper. Copperplate engraving was much used in the 16th and 17th centuries to reproduce original paintings.
© Zijper Museum - ContemporaryContemporary art is all visual art which is made 'now'. Contemporary art is exhibited in museums and at art fairs such as the Venice Biennale. Galleries and artists' initiatives also present contemporary art. Many contemporary artists are interested in conceptually involving the viewer in their art. For example, their work may address the question of how it is to live in this world. The countless links with the world around us and increasing globalisation represent an important source of inspiration. Thanks to knowledge of art history and the immense range of materials and tools available, artists are able to make many choices as to what their creations will look like. Ultimately, artists often choose a medium or material based on the idea which they want to express. In art criticism, recent art from the 1960s and 70s onwards is usually called contemporary art. The visual art from before that period is known as modern art, but in view of the fact that the dividing line is not absolute, many artists fall into both categories. Examples of contemporary artists are: - Francis Bacon - Jeff Wall - Andy Warhol - Banksy - Richard Deacon - Ai Weiwei. In contemporary art, it is harder to differentiate the clearly-defined art movements which were so characteristic of modern art. The unique thing about contemporary art on the other hand is that it is possible to encounter the artist personally, to follow them and to learn about their vision of their own work instead of a later interpretation of it.
© Art Base 2014l, Art e-zine - Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro is a technique used in painting, cinema and photography, in which there is a strong contrast between light and dark parts. This technique is clearly visible in the work of, for example, Rembrandt. The lighter parts are in strong contrast to the dark ones. The work of Jeroen Passchier also shows great chiaroscuro.
© Rembrandt van Rijn, Mauritshuis - CollageCollage is an art form where multiple materials are applied to a surface, such as canvas. This can be, for example, fragments from magazines, newspapers, pictures, drawings or ripped pieces of cardboard. All the different images affect each other. They can be complementing, but also reinforce or weaken each other. Some elements require more attention than others, which reveals something else every time you look at the artwork.
© Stijn Mulder - ContéConté is a kind of chalk that is used for drawing. There are different kinds of conté crayons, but the colors black, white, red and sepia are used mostly. Because of the hard character of the chalk, conté is often used on studies and sketches. The chalk is also used to fill pitch-black parts of a drawing, because of its matte finish.
© Anton Heyboer - Crackle paintCracks are an irregularity in the shape of small lines in the surface of materials, such as the cracks that can be seen in the paint of an old painting. Over the years, paint and varnish lose their elasticity. The constant change of temperature and humidity cause the canvas or panel to shrink or expand slightly. Due to the reduction of elasticity, the paint and varnish can’t move with the shrinking or expanding, causing a cracking pattern in the surface.
© Johannes Vermeer, Mauritshuis - CanvasFrom the 15th century, painters started to choose canvas over panel. Not many early works on canvas have been preserved, since they were very fragile. This is due to the fact that painters didn’t know how to prepare the canvas to make it last longer. From the 16th century, artists started to prepare their canvas more. Therefore, more work from this period has been saved.
The canvas, often linen, is sewn around a temporary wooden construction. The artist decides the tension of the linen. Once the painting is finished, it is transferred to a stretcher, the final construction. Nowadays it is more common to skip the temporary construction. Instead many artists place their linen directly on the final stretcher.
The difference in the structure of the linen can be used to create different effects. This is highly visible in the work of, for example, Titian and Rembrandt, who experimented with different weaving techniques.
© Fotograaf: Ivo Hoekstra. Kunstwerk: Jan Steen, Mauritshuis
- CanvasFrom the 15th century, painters started to choose canvas over panel. Not many early works on canvas have been preserved, since they were very fragile. This is due to the fact that painters didn’t know how to prepare the canvas to make it last longer. From the 16th century, artists started to prepare their canvas more. Therefore, more work from this period has been saved.
The canvas, often linen, is sewn around a temporary wooden construction. The artist decides the tension of the linen. Once the painting is finished, it is transferred to a stretcher, the final construction. Nowadays it is more common to skip the temporary construction. Instead many artists place their linen directly on the final stretcher.
The difference in the structure of the linen can be used to create different effects. This is highly visible in the work of, for example, Titian and Rembrandt, who experimented with different weaving techniques.
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- DigitalDigital art is a form of art which is produced digitally and in which the computer plays an important role. Digital art is also known as interactive art, multimedia art and media art. The representation is made on the screen in a drawing or painting program and published on paper, as a video or even printed out with the help of a 3D printer. Digital art can also be work which has been produced in order to be viewed with digital equipment, such as web art, and can also be a digitally reproduced reproduction of an existing artwork. A digital reproduction of an original work of art is not regarded as original digital art. By contrast, digital art which has been produced on a computer with the help of a drawing or painting program, a computer print (C-print), is regarded as an original – provided it has been produced under the same strict conditions as traditional graphic art. Thus, the artist may not make further prints of the work from a particular series once the complete edition of the work has been printed. Examples of digital artists are: - David Hockney - Lieve Blancquaert - Martin Sjardijn - Peter Struycken. A well-known example of a current online (digital) work of art is ‘Communimage’ by Calc and Johannes Gees. They initiated this concept in 1999. Visitors can add their own images to an ever-growing patchwork of images.
© Nick Ervinck - Dead colourThe dead colour is one of the first layers that is applied on a canvas when making a painting. The canvas is first prepared with gesso. Next, the image is drawn onto the surface, which is followed by the dead colouring. The dead colour is done in basic colour tones, without much detail. It is used as guideline for applying the oil paint and to create more depth in the painting by adding layers. This way of painting was most common until the twentieth century.
© Jan van Eyck - DrypointDrypoint is an intaglio (printmaking) technique, where the artist uses a small needle to scratch a drawing onto a (metal) plate. Ink is being rubbed into the grooves of the drawing. The scratched material leaves a burr at the edges of the lines, which makes the ink stick together, creating a fuzzy look when printed.
© Rembrandt van Rijn
- DigitalDigital art is a form of art which is produced digitally and in which the computer plays an important role. Digital art is also known as interactive art, multimedia art and media art. The representation is made on the screen in a drawing or painting program and published on paper, as a video or even printed out with the help of a 3D printer. Digital art can also be work which has been produced in order to be viewed with digital equipment, such as web art, and can also be a digitally reproduced reproduction of an existing artwork. A digital reproduction of an original work of art is not regarded as original digital art. By contrast, digital art which has been produced on a computer with the help of a drawing or painting program, a computer print (C-print), is regarded as an original – provided it has been produced under the same strict conditions as traditional graphic art. Thus, the artist may not make further prints of the work from a particular series once the complete edition of the work has been printed. Examples of digital artists are: - David Hockney - Lieve Blancquaert - Martin Sjardijn - Peter Struycken. A well-known example of a current online (digital) work of art is ‘Communimage’ by Calc and Johannes Gees. They initiated this concept in 1999. Visitors can add their own images to an ever-growing patchwork of images.
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- EtchingUsing an acid to erode a metal surface (often copper or zinc). This is a procedure to enable drawings to be printed in series. It yields a typical, recognisable line which has been eroded into the etching plate by means of an acid. It has more or less eroded edges and is a visible and tangible on the paper as a high relief line.
© Rembrandt, Rembrandt: Masters of States - EditionNumbered edition. Two numbers in the form of a fraction representing a signature on a graphic work. The number of the print within a numbered edition is added by hand. The artist performs this numbering him/herself. The first figure is the print number within the series, while the second number refers to the total edition. Bona fide artists destroy the printing plate after a complete edition or cut it to pieces. That way, buyers can be sure that the edition will remain limited.
© About Art - EngravingAn engraving is a kind of intaglio printing or gravure technique, where the image is scratched into a metal sheet. This technique is very similar to drypoint, except for the fact that with an engraving, the metal sheet is smeared with beeswax before scratching. All the excess metal, the burr, is removed. Because of the hardness of the metal, it is not easy to scratch an image into the surface. Therefore, an engraving is often more graphic and angular than an etching.
© Hendrick Goltzius
- EtchingUsing an acid to erode a metal surface (often copper or zinc). This is a procedure to enable drawings to be printed in series. It yields a typical, recognisable line which has been eroded into the etching plate by means of an acid. It has more or less eroded edges and is a visible and tangible on the paper as a high relief line.
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- Figurative
Works of art are regarded as figurative if they depict recognisable subjects, even if they are altered, exaggerated or distorted (Surrealism). For example, still lifes, landscapes or portraits. Abstract art and non-figurative art are often referred to as the counterpart to figurative art. Examples of figurative artists are: - George Braque - Marc Chagall - Henri Matisse - Pablo Picasso. After the Second World War, a new vision of figurative art developed in the Netherlands and Belgium. It came from artists who wanted to distance themselves from the then prevailing views regarding figuration and expressionism. This style was known as New Figuration. New Figuration is a style of painting related to Pop Art and is characterised by an interest in the ambiguous relationship between representation and reality. Elements of popular visual culture such as comic strips and advertising and quotes from history/art history are often used as subjects. From approximately 1980, Neo-Expressionism emerged, a new worldwide revival of figurative painting. The Neo-Expressionists reacted against the conceptualism and minimalism of the 60s and 70s and broke with the philosophy of the modernists. Since Neo-Expressionism, figurative art has again become a central part of contemporary visual art. Famous Neo-Expressionists include David Salle, Julian Schnabel and Georg Baselitz.
© Henk Helmantel, Galerie ArtVera's Geneve - FrescoFresco is a wall or ceiling painting, where the paint is applied directly to the wet lime. As a result, after drying the lime, the applied paint and lime form a whole. The term fresco is derived from the Italian expression “buon fresco”. This term is used for both the wall or ceiling paintings.
In the 15th-century the exact technique was described by Cennino Cennini in three steps. Step one: he called “arrico” where a wall is covered with a rough plaster layer on which a sketch could be made with charcoal. Step two: after applying the charcoal sketch, the sketch is then painted over with ocher paint, mixed with the red-brown pigment sinopia. Step three consisted of covering the sinopia with a thin, smooth plaster layer called the intonaco. After these steps, the fresco itself is permanently painted by the painter.
© Michelangelo Buonarroti
- Figurative
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- GouacheA gouache is an artwork made using opaque water-based paints in which the support is no longer visible, in contrast to a watercolour. The type of paint used is also referred to as "gouache". This type of paint is also known as poster paint. Originally, gouache and poster paint were two different techniques, but these days their meanings have merged. Gouache is usually only used on paper because it does not adhere well to other support media. This type of paint dries quickly compared to oil paints and watercolours and therefore demands precision on the part of the artist.
© Tomasz Cichowski - GessoGesso is used to prepare a canvas or panel before it gets painted. The gesso is applied in multiple layers. After every layer, the surface is smoothed by sanding the gesso lightly. The gesso ensures that the paint does not pull into the canvas or wood, but stays on top of it.
© Lost painters - GravureGravure is a printmaking method. Grooves are made in a metal sheet, which is then filled with ink and printed onto paper. There are three different types of gravure: (copper)engraving, etching and drypoint. The opposite of gravure is relief printing.
© Rembrandt van Rijn - Grazing lightGrazing light is light that shines slightly along an object. All the irregularities of the subject are accentuated by the light, which makes for an intriguing photo.
© Johan van der Keuken
- GouacheA gouache is an artwork made using opaque water-based paints in which the support is no longer visible, in contrast to a watercolour. The type of paint used is also referred to as "gouache". This type of paint is also known as poster paint. Originally, gouache and poster paint were two different techniques, but these days their meanings have merged. Gouache is usually only used on paper because it does not adhere well to other support media. This type of paint dries quickly compared to oil paints and watercolours and therefore demands precision on the part of the artist.
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- I
- IconA religious painting on a wooden panel. Occurs particularly in the Eastern churches. Contains wax for the colour pigments.
© Meester van Badia a Isola, Rijksmuseum - ImpastoImpasto is a painting technique in which the paint is applied to the panel or canvas in thick layers. The irregular structure of the paint casts shadows onto the painting, creating depth and realistic effects. Painters like Rembrandt use this technique often to make fabrics or jewellery look more realistic.
© Rembrandt van Rijn, Rijksmuseum - Indian inkIndian ink is a pitch-black ink, composed of soot, water and a binding agent. The ink is mainly used for drawing. When diluted with water, a variation of grey tones can be achieved.
© Marlene Dumas, Tate Modern, Londen
- IconA religious painting on a wooden panel. Occurs particularly in the Eastern churches. Contains wax for the colour pigments.
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- JugendstilAlso known as Art Nouveau. A very artisanal style from around 1900 in reaction to the style imitations before that time. Characteristic of the style are the flowing lines and organic forms, which recur in the architecture, furniture and wall decoration. There is great respect for materials and craftsmanship, resulting in a new appreciation of the stained-glass technique.
© Victor Horta
- JugendstilAlso known as Art Nouveau. A very artisanal style from around 1900 in reaction to the style imitations before that time. Characteristic of the style are the flowing lines and organic forms, which recur in the architecture, furniture and wall decoration. There is great respect for materials and craftsmanship, resulting in a new appreciation of the stained-glass technique.
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- Lithography
A technique which is often performed entirely by hand is planographic printing. A lithographic stone is used (Solnhofen limestone), which has very fine pores and can be cut into thicknesses of between 5 and 7 cm. This printing technique was commonly used in both the 19th and 20th centuries.
© Ger Lataster, About Art - LinearAn artist can be recognised by his brushstrokes. A linear painting is a painting with controlled brushstrokes and carefully drawn lines. The painting is called painterly (or painterliness, or Malerich) when the brushstrokes are less controlled. Linear paintings are often more realistic and detailed than painterly works. © Rembrandt van Rijn, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
- LinocutThe linocut, or linoleum cut, is a specific technique within the art of printing. This technique involves an image that is cut out of a piece of linoleum. Linoleum is a wear-resistant floor covering. Especially for artists who use the linocut technique, special linoleum types are also produced.
The technique itself can be compared with the woodcut. At the linocut, however, the material is a lot softer than the woodcut so it makes cutting into softer material a lot easier. Despite these smoother lines, a linocut is usually somewhat coarser than a woodcut.
© Twan de Vos
- Lithography
- M
- Mixed-mediaIn modern sculpture and painting, the creator may use different techniques in the same work. For example, frottage (a rubbing technique) and collage (a sticking technique) may be combined, and various types of painting techniques may be used. In addition, various additives may be mixed into oil paint. Spatial work may also be combined with painting. A combination of airbrushing and splashing and dripping techniques also occurs, sometimes combined with particular printing techniques. A mixed technique exists in sculpture, where assembly techniques are used (apparently unordered compositions of various existing materials).
© Martijn Hesseling, Absolute Art Gallery - Mahl stickThe Mahl stick, or ‘maulstick’, is a tool that is used by painters who work with oil paint. The stick supports the hand that is used for painting, by leaning on it. The stick can be hold against the painting itself, when the paint is dry enough, or against the edge or frame of the painting.
© Adriaen van Ostade, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
- Mixed-mediaIn modern sculpture and painting, the creator may use different techniques in the same work. For example, frottage (a rubbing technique) and collage (a sticking technique) may be combined, and various types of painting techniques may be used. In addition, various additives may be mixed into oil paint. Spatial work may also be combined with painting. A combination of airbrushing and splashing and dripping techniques also occurs, sometimes combined with particular printing techniques. A mixed technique exists in sculpture, where assembly techniques are used (apparently unordered compositions of various existing materials).
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- Neo stylesStyle forms from the 19th century harking back to earlier styles, such as Neoclassicism and Neo-Baroque. Prominent in the Netherlands around 1850 was the so-called Waterstaat style. In that time, the Ministry of Water Management (Waterstaat) had responsibility for artistic design, and in particular the architecture and decoration of railway stations.
© Joanna Vasconcelos
- Neo stylesStyle forms from the 19th century harking back to earlier styles, such as Neoclassicism and Neo-Baroque. Prominent in the Netherlands around 1850 was the so-called Waterstaat style. In that time, the Ministry of Water Management (Waterstaat) had responsibility for artistic design, and in particular the architecture and decoration of railway stations.
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- Oil paintThere are different types of paint, like tempera-, water-, and acrylic paint. In every type, a different kind of binder is used to be mixed with pigments. In oil paint, the binder is oil. The advantage of oil paint in comparison with other kinds of paint, is that it dries relatively slow, which makes very subtle nuances and colour transitions possible. Also, once dry, the paint has a beautiful glow.
© Vincent van Gogh, Musée d'Orsay, Parijs
- Oil paintThere are different types of paint, like tempera-, water-, and acrylic paint. In every type, a different kind of binder is used to be mixed with pigments. In oil paint, the binder is oil. The advantage of oil paint in comparison with other kinds of paint, is that it dries relatively slow, which makes very subtle nuances and colour transitions possible. Also, once dry, the paint has a beautiful glow.
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- PrimitiveThe objets d'art made by indigenous population groups and traditional cultures with surviving traditions are known as primitive art. This art comes from Africa, America and Oceania and is often associated with a particular ritual. Primitive art has been a source of inspiration for various art movements, including Primitivism. These days, Primitive art is also frequently referred to as Tribal art or Traditional folk art. Most primitive art objects were intended as implements or had a ritual function. Each object is decorated in accordance with a long tradition, in which each representation has its own meaning. The word Primitivism is not used to refer to art made by indigenous population groups but to Western art based on primitive art. In this movement, Western artists aim to emphasise the spontaneous and the naive and to return to a time long before modern civilisation. The artists often achieve this by omitting perspective and making the subject more abstract. The indigenous population of North America, also known as Indians, made totem poles, canoes, clothing, ornaments and pots. Well-known Indian tribes are the Kwakiutl, the Sioux and the Wichita. Somewhat further north are found the Eskimos, or Inuit. The Eskimos made sculptures from ivory, whalebone, wood and soapstone. Often these were animal figures which protected the wearer against evil spirits or served purely as decoration. In the rainforests of Brazil, Peru and Venezuela there are still a large number of tribes who live in a traditional way. Their primitive objects d'art primarily consist of headdresses, earthenware, ornaments, textiles and body painting. Many of these tribes live isolated from the outside world. Oceanic primitive art comes from the islands of Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia – and also from New Zealand (Maori), Papua New Guinea and Easter Island (the so-called Moai stone sculptures). They are particularly known for their masks, canoes, shields, sculptures and traditional dances. Many wooden figurines are representations of birds, pigs, sharks or ancestors, decorated with hair and shells. These small sculptures are still used to invoke spirits.
© Encyclopedie Universelle - PanelA panel is the carrier of a painting, like canvas. Art historians discovered that panels were already used in the 12th and 13th century in Italy. Until the 15th century, panel was the most used carrier of paintings. Panels are made from wooden boards, made out of heartwood. This is the inner part of a tree trunk, which is the hardest and qualitatively thus the best part of the tree. The boards are joined together with glue or wooden joints. Finally, the panel is sanded until smooth. Only the front of the panel is sanded, unless both sides of the panel are being painted.
A lot of information can be distracted from the wood that has been used. Artists in the 12th until 15th century often used local wood, which provides information about the place where the artist lived or worked. Examining the wood, one can also determine the age of the panel and painting.
© Jan van Eyck, The National Gallery, Londen - PainterlinessAn artist can be recognised by his brushstrokes. A linear painting is a painting with controlled brushstrokes and carefully drawn lines. The painting is called painterly (or painterliness, or Malerich) when the brushstrokes are less controlled. Linear paintings are often more realistic and detailed than painterly works.
© Henri Matisse, State Hermitage Museum Saint Petersburg - PastelsThe technique of pastel chalk is used with a chalk pen. This technique can be applied to both pastel chalks; oil pastels and soft pastels. Pastel chalk can be drawn in a picturesque way. Some artists who work with pastel chalk therefore consider their work as a painting.
The technique was particularly popular in the 18th century and was mainly used to make portrait paintings. Artists and their students did this by producing pastel colors themselves. The reason for the popularity at the time is mainly to be found in the fresh look of the technique.
© Maurice Quentin de la Tour - PiezographyPiezography, also known as giclée; giclée is in fact derived from the French term “gicler” which means radiance. This fits well with the Piezography because this is a printing technique that continuously uses ink to apply different layers of color on paper.
However, nowadays, Piezography is mainly seen as reproduction technique that uses an inkjet printer to make reproductions of artworks.
© Gustav Klimt
- PrimitiveThe objets d'art made by indigenous population groups and traditional cultures with surviving traditions are known as primitive art. This art comes from Africa, America and Oceania and is often associated with a particular ritual. Primitive art has been a source of inspiration for various art movements, including Primitivism. These days, Primitive art is also frequently referred to as Tribal art or Traditional folk art. Most primitive art objects were intended as implements or had a ritual function. Each object is decorated in accordance with a long tradition, in which each representation has its own meaning. The word Primitivism is not used to refer to art made by indigenous population groups but to Western art based on primitive art. In this movement, Western artists aim to emphasise the spontaneous and the naive and to return to a time long before modern civilisation. The artists often achieve this by omitting perspective and making the subject more abstract. The indigenous population of North America, also known as Indians, made totem poles, canoes, clothing, ornaments and pots. Well-known Indian tribes are the Kwakiutl, the Sioux and the Wichita. Somewhat further north are found the Eskimos, or Inuit. The Eskimos made sculptures from ivory, whalebone, wood and soapstone. Often these were animal figures which protected the wearer against evil spirits or served purely as decoration. In the rainforests of Brazil, Peru and Venezuela there are still a large number of tribes who live in a traditional way. Their primitive objects d'art primarily consist of headdresses, earthenware, ornaments, textiles and body painting. Many of these tribes live isolated from the outside world. Oceanic primitive art comes from the islands of Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia – and also from New Zealand (Maori), Papua New Guinea and Easter Island (the so-called Moai stone sculptures). They are particularly known for their masks, canoes, shields, sculptures and traditional dances. Many wooden figurines are representations of birds, pigs, sharks or ancestors, decorated with hair and shells. These small sculptures are still used to invoke spirits.
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- QuiltingTextile technique which was applied in the 19th century as an abstract art form, particularly in America.
© Adeline Harris Sears, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- QuiltingTextile technique which was applied in the 19th century as an abstract art form, particularly in America.
- R
- ReliefIf the area around a motif on a plank of wood, for example, has been removed, this is referred to as high relief or haut-relief. There is also low-relief or bas-relief and sunk or sunken relief. For thousands of years and to this day, artists have used a chisel, drill and file to bring out shapes in relief from bluestone, marble or wood. Material Art is a form of Abstract Expressionism which emerged from approximately 1955. Material artists are artists who focus primarily on the material which they use to produce their work. For them, the material is not merely a resource but a source of inspiration and object of the artistic process. By using materials such as sand, sawdust or textiles, they create a striking surface structure with differences in level, the so-called relief.
© Antoni Tapies - Relief printingRelief printing is the opposite of intaglio printing. The artist removes everything that is not supposed to be printed. The higher parts of the surface are being smeared with ink and printed on paper or canvas. Woodcut printing is an example of a relief printing technique.
© Lucas Cranach, Rijksmuseum
- ReliefIf the area around a motif on a plank of wood, for example, has been removed, this is referred to as high relief or haut-relief. There is also low-relief or bas-relief and sunk or sunken relief. For thousands of years and to this day, artists have used a chisel, drill and file to bring out shapes in relief from bluestone, marble or wood. Material Art is a form of Abstract Expressionism which emerged from approximately 1955. Material artists are artists who focus primarily on the material which they use to produce their work. For them, the material is not merely a resource but a source of inspiration and object of the artistic process. By using materials such as sand, sawdust or textiles, they create a striking surface structure with differences in level, the so-called relief.
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- SignatureThe name of the artist which is added to the work on completion either in full, abbreviated or as a monogram. The name is often shown at the bottom right along with the year of production.
© Marcel Duchamp - Screen printingA process which makes use of a fine-meshed material stretched onto a frame (silk, synthetic silk). The areas which are not part of the representation are covered with gum arabic in order to make the mesh impermeable. Relatively runny ink is then forced through the mesh. Characteristic of this technique are the fairly flat colours which lie 'raised' on the paper.
© Andy Warhol - Siberian chalkSiberian chalk is a type of charcoal that has artificially been pressed together. The chalk is produced in different degrees of hardness, depending on the amount of clay that is added. Using Siberian chalk, an intense black colour can be achieved.
© Thijs Zweers, Torch Gallery - StretcherA stretcher is the final wooden construction to which a canvas is attached.
© Joan Miro
- SignatureThe name of the artist which is added to the work on completion either in full, abbreviated or as a monogram. The name is often shown at the bottom right along with the year of production.
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- TemperaTempera is a kind of paint that uses egg yolk, honey or glue as binding agent. This type of paint was mainly used from the 14th until 16th century, and was then replaced by oil paint. Tempera can be tricky to use. It dries very quickly and can’t be preserved in wet form, because it spoils easily. The paint is not transparent and is hard to mix. Once the paint is dry, it can’t dissolve in water anymore. Colour tones can be achieved by making hatches, which is an elaborate task. The paint has a matte finish of itself. To add some shine to the paint, a wax layer or varnish can be applied.
© Detail of Fra Angelico, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid
- TemperaTempera is a kind of paint that uses egg yolk, honey or glue as binding agent. This type of paint was mainly used from the 14th until 16th century, and was then replaced by oil paint. Tempera can be tricky to use. It dries very quickly and can’t be preserved in wet form, because it spoils easily. The paint is not transparent and is hard to mix. Once the paint is dry, it can’t dissolve in water anymore. Colour tones can be achieved by making hatches, which is an elaborate task. The paint has a matte finish of itself. To add some shine to the paint, a wax layer or varnish can be applied.
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- Unique copyPlural: unica. A work of art of which only one copy exists
© Rijksmuseum
- Unique copyPlural: unica. A work of art of which only one copy exists
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- VisualVisual art is the form of art in which the visual, the representation, takes precedence. It can be a spatial object, such as a sculpture, or a depiction on a flat plane such as a photo or painting. *** The visual arts include: - Sculpture - film - photography - painting - textiles. In the latter part of the 20th century, new forms of visual art emerged such as digital art, video art and performance. Increasingly, these forms cross-pollinated with other art disciplines such as technology and music.
© Claudy Jongstra - Vanitas pieceVanitas symbolism: a painted still life composed of objects which allude to the transitory and vulnerable nature of this life. For example, a half-burned candle, a skull, an open book, an hourglass or half-perished flowers and fruit. Such pieces are also known as ‘memento mori’ (Latin for 'remember you must die').
© Pieter Claesz - VarnishVarnish is a transparent protective layer that can be applied to a two or three-dimensional object. It helps protect the painting against moisture and discolouration due to light and air pollution. Also, it adds shine to the painting and makes the colours deeper. On old paintings, the varnish can be yellowed. A restorer can replace the old varnish for new varnish, giving the painting a fresh look.
© Caesar van Everdingen, Rijksmuseum
- VisualVisual art is the form of art in which the visual, the representation, takes precedence. It can be a spatial object, such as a sculpture, or a depiction on a flat plane such as a photo or painting. *** The visual arts include: - Sculpture - film - photography - painting - textiles. In the latter part of the 20th century, new forms of visual art emerged such as digital art, video art and performance. Increasingly, these forms cross-pollinated with other art disciplines such as technology and music.
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- WatercolourPainting technique in which water-based paints with a good pigment are worked on paper in a wet state. Even if several colours are used one on top of the other, the support always remains visible. Transparency is thus the characteristic of the watercolour. The artist must be able to work quickly, because the colours are best mixed in a wet state. For this reason, the artist will often set out the composition in pencil before filling it with the watercolour paint. The pencil lines are later rubbed out using an eraser. For preference, the artist will use special watercolour paper, which is extra thick and has a somewhat spongy structure. Thanks to this structure, this type of paper can absorb all the water carried by the brush, so that it does not crinkle when drying the way smooth papers do. As a result, the lines in a watercolour painting have a rather capricious character and are certainly not perfectly straight, which often only adds to the beauty of the piece. If you look carefully, you sometimes see little spots of paint which have landed on the paper unintentionally while working and thus add to the whole in an entirely spontaneous way.
© Frans Klerkx - WaxPlastic material which can have a plant-based, animal (beeswax) or synthetic source. Wax can be used in both graphic and painting techniques. Wax is used as an aid in casting bronze in sculpture. The material has the property that it never hardens and always remains more or less plastic.
© Cire Perdue - WoodcutWoodcut (or xylography) is a kind of relief printing. The artist works in negative, removing all parts of the surface that should not show in the finished work. There are different steps in the process of making a woodcut. First, the design is made. Often this drawing gets lost in the process. The drawing can be transferred onto the piece of wood in two different ways. The first way is by gluing it onto the wood, and cutting through the drawing, into the wood. The second way is by smearing the back of the drawing with charcoal, then placing it onto the block of wood and tracing the lines of the drawing with a pointed tool. The charcoal leaves a mark on the wood, showing the image that has been traced. The artist makes slanted cuts, making v-shaped slots. Next, the ink is sampled onto the surface, only touching the higher parts of the woodblock. With a high-quality woodblock, for example made out of fruit trees, one can make nearly three thousand prints.
© Albrecht Dürer
- WatercolourPainting technique in which water-based paints with a good pigment are worked on paper in a wet state. Even if several colours are used one on top of the other, the support always remains visible. Transparency is thus the characteristic of the watercolour. The artist must be able to work quickly, because the colours are best mixed in a wet state. For this reason, the artist will often set out the composition in pencil before filling it with the watercolour paint. The pencil lines are later rubbed out using an eraser. For preference, the artist will use special watercolour paper, which is extra thick and has a somewhat spongy structure. Thanks to this structure, this type of paper can absorb all the water carried by the brush, so that it does not crinkle when drying the way smooth papers do. As a result, the lines in a watercolour painting have a rather capricious character and are certainly not perfectly straight, which often only adds to the beauty of the piece. If you look carefully, you sometimes see little spots of paint which have landed on the paper unintentionally while working and thus add to the whole in an entirely spontaneous way.
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- XylographyWoodcarving or xylography is a graphic technique which produces a woodcut. To this end, a drawing is gouged into a soft variety of wood using special gouges. Afterwards, the printing block is covered in black or coloured printing ink using an ink roller, after which it is firmly pressed against a sheet of paper. The remaining wood produces a representation in mirror image. This is a high relief technique; the notched parts become visible in the print as recesses. Woodcuts are still made in contemporary art; by using modern plate materials, 'wall-to-wall' sizes are possible. Examples of contemporary artists who practise woodcutting are: Georg Baselitz, Martin Noël and M.C. Escher. The characteristic difference between a woodcut and a wood engraving is that the wood engraving is engraved in the end grain of a hard wooden block, enabling delicate drawing and nuanced shades of grey, whereas a woodcut is usually gouged into a soft wooden plank, which usually yields cruder prints with a stronger black/white contrast.
© Albrecht Dürer
- XylographyWoodcarving or xylography is a graphic technique which produces a woodcut. To this end, a drawing is gouged into a soft variety of wood using special gouges. Afterwards, the printing block is covered in black or coloured printing ink using an ink roller, after which it is firmly pressed against a sheet of paper. The remaining wood produces a representation in mirror image. This is a high relief technique; the notched parts become visible in the print as recesses. Woodcuts are still made in contemporary art; by using modern plate materials, 'wall-to-wall' sizes are possible. Examples of contemporary artists who practise woodcutting are: Georg Baselitz, Martin Noël and M.C. Escher. The characteristic difference between a woodcut and a wood engraving is that the wood engraving is engraved in the end grain of a hard wooden block, enabling delicate drawing and nuanced shades of grey, whereas a woodcut is usually gouged into a soft wooden plank, which usually yields cruder prints with a stronger black/white contrast.
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- YoraganGeometrically styled motifs such as flowering sprigs, flowers and the like in carpets with a very high knot density and dimensions of up to 8 x 8 m.
© Persian Carpet Guide
- YoraganGeometrically styled motifs such as flowering sprigs, flowers and the like in carpets with a very high knot density and dimensions of up to 8 x 8 m.
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Our price is lower than the manufacturer's "minimum advertised price." As a result, we cannot show you the price in catalog or the product page.
You have no obligation to purchase the product once you know the price. You can simply remove the item from your cart.
You have no obligation to purchase the product once you know the price. You can simply remove the item from your cart.