Section

GLOSSARY OF ART TERMS

Edited by Mark Quinlan

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Technique

An artist’s choice of materials and use of those materials; the ways in which an artist applies, combines, handles, manipulates, or works media to create an artwork.

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Tempera

The technique of painting with pigments bound in a water-soluble emulsion, such as water and egg yolk, or an oil-in-water emulsion such as oil and a whole egg. Some tempera paints are made with an artificial emulsion using gum or glue. Traditionally applied to a rigid support such as a wood panel, the paint dries [...]

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Tenebrism

From the Italian ‘tenebroso’ meaning ‘gloomy’ or ‘murky’. Tenebrism is a painting style using vivid contrasts of light and dark. A heightened form of chiaroscuro, this style creates the look of figures either engulfed in shadow or emerging from the dark. Any illumination in such a composition usually comes from a single intense source, such [...]

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Tertiary colours

A tertiary colour is one produced by mixing one primary colour with one secondary colour, in a given colour space. Unlike primary and secondary colours, these are not represented by one firmly established name each, but the following examples include some of the most popular. The term ‘tertiary colour’ was originally coined to refer to [...]

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The Salon

The official, state-sponsored art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. First held in the Palais du Louvre in 1725, it became known as The Salon. Between 1748-1890 it was recognised as the pre-eminent annual or bi-annual art event in the world and exhibition at The Salon was essential for any artist wishing to [...]

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The Studio magazine

The Studio magazine was founded by Charles Holmes as an informative monthly periodical on contemporary fine and decorative art. First published in April 1893 (price: 6d), The Studio always had an extensive readership which included the UK, Europe and North America in particular. It initially started out by championing contemporary art and design movements. It [...]

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Tint

A hue with white added. For instance, the colour pink is a tint of red.

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Tondo

Deriving from the Italian word for round. A circular painting or relief sculpture. The tondo derives from classical medallions and was used in the Renaissance as a compositional device for creating an ideal visual harmony. It was particularly popular in Florence and was often used for depictions of the Madonna and Child.

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Tone

In painting, tone refers to the relative lightness or darkness of a colour (see also Chiaroscuro). One colour can have an almost infinite number of different tones. Tone can also mean the colour itself. For example, when Van Gogh writes ‘I exaggerate the fairness of the hair, I even get to orange tones, chromes and [...]

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Tonking

lf a painting done in oils or acrylics becomes overworked, or clogged with too much paint, the excess can be removed by means of a technique known as ‘tonking’, which is done by blotting with a sheet of absorbent paper (such as newspaper or kitchen towel) on the surface of the canvas, gently pressing the [...]

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Topographical View

A landscape depiction that emphasises the nearly cartographically accurate representation of the particular features of a locale.

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Translucent

A substance sufficiently transparent to allow light to pass through, but not clear enough to reveal all form, line and colour.

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Triptych

Art consisting of a painting or carving on three panels, often hinged together. This was commonly constructed for altarpieces during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Today, triptychs are often assembled with three canvases meant to be displayed together. The image is usually either a single scene extended across all three canvases or simply separate [...]

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Trois crayons

A highly pictorial technique that combined the use of white, black, and red chalk within one drawing. It was especially favoured by French artists of the 18th century, notably Watteau. (Jean-Antoine Watteau, Six Studies of Heads).

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Trompe l’oeil

Pronounced ‘tromp loy’. A French term meaning ‘fool the eye’. A technique usually found in still life paintings. It involves the artist rendering a subject with such detail and attention to lighting and perspective that the finished piece appears to be real and three-dimensional. The art of trompe l’oeil began during the Renaissance and with [...]

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Turpentine

Turpentine or ‘turps’ is the traditional solvent used in oil painting. It is based on tree resin and has a fast evaporation rate, releasing harmful vapours. It can be absorbed through the skin. Artists should use only artist-quality turpentine, as the industrial variety found in hardware stores probably contains impurities; it should be colourless, like [...]

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Two-dimensional Space

A measurable distance on a surface which show height and width but lack any illusion of thickness or depth.