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Art Terms

A word you didn't know makes the work you're about to meet far more interesting.
An art glossary.

Index

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. H
  9. I
  10. J
  11. K
  12. L
  13. M
  14. N
  15. O
  16. P
  17. Q
  18. R
  19. S
  20. T
  21. U
  22. V
  23. W
  24. X
  25. Y
  26. Z
  27. 126 terms
Matière
A French term for the material quality of a painting — its impasto and surface — speaking to its tactile character.
Mannerism
A late-Renaissance style of exaggerated poses and tense compositions.
Manila School
The Manila painting lineage of the early 20th century, centered on UP Fine Arts and the Amorsolo Studio.
Mandala
A circular image that diagrams the cosmos; lies at the crossroads of meditation and iconography.
Mixed Media
Combining multiple materials and techniques in one work; a standard mode of practice since the late 20th century.
Minimalism
A 1960s movement that strips away ornament and narrative to present form, colour, and material in their pure existence.
Mural
A large painting executed directly on a wall; recently widespread in the public spaces of Manila and Cebu.
Memento Mori
An allegory meaning 'remember death,' embedding skulls or hourglasses as symbols of transience.
Modernism
The broad modern art movement of the late 19th to mid-20th century, oriented toward a break with tradition.
Monochrome
Painting in a single colour; the limitation foregrounds form and texture.
Monotype
A printmaking technique that yields essentially a single impression by transferring a directly painted plate to paper.