Karaniwang IELTS Vocabulary - art history

An adopter is someone who does something before it is widely known, or before it is popular. Normally, this type of person is called an early adopter. An early adopter is usually credited with the popularity or success of the action, whether it be an art technique or business model.

• Even though the creator of Facebook was an early adopter, there is no way he could have known the success it would have!

Definition: Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

Example sentences:

• Women also appreciate the aesthetic value of a knife and may choose to combine function with beauty. This picture gives great aesthetic pleasure.

Definition: An ideal example of a type; quintessence:

Example sentences:

• Newer ones, like the one in Watchet, are built of bricks and mortar but the archetypal model is the ubiquitous wooden structure.

The adjective artistic describes people who are creative or creations called “art.” Artistic can also describe something pleasing to look at, but you don’t have to like everything that is artistic. Notice the base word is “art” so remember, artistic can be anything related to art.

• My daughter is very artistic, so we enrolled her in extra art classes.
• Even though the painting was artistic, it wasn’t my style.

There are two different meanings for brushstroke. First, the most obvious one is the actual stroke of a brush, normally a paint brush or hairbrush. The other definition is an individual action that contributes to an overall effect or work. For example:

• I love how the artist used different sizes of brushstroke in the painting.
• He acted like he did all the work, when in reality his contribution was a brushstroke of the whole project.

Definition: be typical or characteristic of

Example senences:

• The disease is characterized by weakening of the immune system.
• It was a social relationship characterized by an unequal distribution of power and resources.

Definition: A small musical instrument played by stretching and squeezing a central bellows between the hands to blow air over reeds, each note being sounded by a button.

Example sentences:

• All varieties of accordion (including the concertina and the bandoneon) have been made in both double and single-action models.

Contemporary is an adjective to describe anything happening now, or in the same time. Contemporary art is new art, and has been developed recently. You could think of contemporary and modern belonging in the same word group, especially when related to art.

• She didn’t like the looks of the old architecture, and was looking for something more contemporary.

Definition: not genuine; imitating something superior; a copy that is represented as the original

Example sentences:

• Many veggie burgers taste processed and counterfeit, it is difficult for the new burger chain to dominate the market overnight.
• Merchants that sell big-ticket items and smaller items, such as gift cards, that can be easily resold are most vulnerable to counterfeit fraud.

Definition: A person or thing holding a position or performing a function that corresponds to that of another person or thing in another place

Example sentences:

• The clothes the actresses wear are noticeably different from their Western counterparts.

To critique means to exam or review critically. Many times, when a critique visits a restaurant, the entire staff gets very nervous, and wants everything to go perfect. This is because they know they they will be reviewed and “critiqued” over every last detail. You can think of critique as reviewing, but in a harsher manner.

• I think that the movie critique was too harsh, I loved the movie he said was garbage!

Her paintings depict the lives of ordinary people in the last century.

In the film she's depicted as a very cold and calculating character.

Found on the Isle of Eigg, a stone cross dating back over 1000 years, depicting a man on horseback hunting several animals such as deer, boar and aurochs

At 65 meters long, 20 meters wide and 27 meters deep, Rani Ki Vav features 500 distinct sculptures carved into niches throughout the monument, depicting gods such as Vishnu and Parvati in various incarnations.

The impressionists were concerned more with the effects of light on an object than with exact depiction of form, because they believed that light tends to diffuse the outlines of the form and reflect the colors of surrounding objects into the shadows.

Post-Impressionism is a predominantly French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905. It emerged as a reaction against Impressionists' concern for the naturalistic depiction of light and colour.

Distorted is an adjective that describes something so badly out of shape, or misformed that it is ugly. For example, if you visit a funhouse at a carnival, they may have a crazy mirror that makes your face look distorted.

Distorted can be having an intended meaning that was misrepresented. For example, if you wanted to ask for a raise because you worked hard, but your boss thinks you want a raise because you are greedy, your message is distorted.

Ephemeral as a noun is anything that is short-lived, and as an adjective anything that lasts a short time.

• The YouTube star’s popularity was ephemeral.

If you epitomize something, you are the perfect example of it. Normally, people epitomize abstract qualities, like kindness or truthful, but it can apply to literal things as well.

• The prince was a very honest man. He epitomized truthfulness

To evoke is to bring (a memory, feeling, image, etc.) into the mind. For example

• The beach evoked memories of his childhood.

To evoke can also mean to provoke(stir up) a reaction or response, For example

• Her remarks have evoked [=provoked] an angry response.

Something unusual or something from an unusual place is exotic. Something you like, or dislike can be considered exotic, as long as it isn’t something that you are used to.

• The food in Thailand was too exotic for her palette, since she came from America.
• She loved the exotic art, she purchased it to keep in her house.

Anything that is feudal is something that is related to feudalism. Feudalism is the social system that developed in Europe in the 8th century in which vassals were protected by lords who they had to serve in war. Used in examples:

• In a feudal society, laborers do not own the land that they work on.
• The Black Death, and a combination of other factors, led to the decline of feudalism.

Definition: (Of an artist or work of art) representing forms that are recognizably derived from life.

Example sentences:

• Duncan creates elegant female forms and her work is figurative, though not representational.

Definition: (Of a person or their behaviour) tending to attract attention because of their exuberance, confidence, and stylishness; Bright, colourful, and very noticeable

Example sentences:

• These vibrant colours and flamboyant designs distinguished Art Deco from previous artistic styles, along with its respect for Japanese heritage and its contribution to modernism.

If something like an idea, a trend, a civilization, or a business..etc flourishes, it is successful, active, or common, and developing quickly and strongly. Used in example sentences:

• The Indus civilization flourished for half a millennium from about 2600 bc to 1900 bc. Then it mysteriously declined and vanished from view. 
• Romanticism was a movement in the arts that flourished in Europe and America between 1750 and 1870.
• The economy flourishes despite a fairly high rate of chronic unemployment.
• If businesses flourish they will attract more industries and more people.

If a plant or animal flourishes, it grows well or is healthy because the conditions are right for it. Used in example sentences:

• The plant flourishes particularly well in slightly harsher climes.
• With the advent of global warming, farmers needed diversity more than ever because it was unclear what varieties would flourish in unfamiliar conditions.

Definition: A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

Example sentences:

• Women also bring to poetry or other genres of literature a whole new area of experience and vision.

Definition: The visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these:

Example sentences:

• Ever since, lions have been portrayed in art, myth and iconography as powerful symbols of solar strength, supremacy, glory, light and brilliance.

Inherently is in a natural manner. Some people are inherently kind, which means that they don’t have to put any effort into being nice to other people, it is just comes naturally to them. On the flip side, you may be inherently shy. An example in a sentence:

• The teacher was inherently kind, so the students loved her from the start.

Interplay is a reciprocal action and reaction. For example, an action could be you had a hair in your mouth, and a reaction would be to spit.

• The interplay of the employees and customers is what makes our business so successful.

To juxtapose​ is to place different things together in order to create an interesting effect or to show how they are the same or different

• This is an interesting display that juxtaposes modern art with classical art.

The juxtaposition of two contrasting objects, images, or ideas is the fact that they are placed together or described together, so that the differences between them are emphasized. In art, this usually is done with the intention of bringing out a specific quality or creating an effect, particularly when two contrasting or opposing elements are used.

Here are example sentences:

• Growing out of Dada during World War I, Surrealism began in the early 1920s, and is best known for its visual artworks that feature the element of surprise and unexpected juxtapositions.
•  Renee Magritte….a meticulous, skillful technician, he is noted for works that contain an extraordinary juxtaposition of ordinary objects or an unusual context that gives new meaning to familiar things.

As an adjective, literate is used to describe being able to read and write. If you are reading this- you are literate. As a noun, literate is someone who is able to read and write. For example:

• Only half of the country was literate, which posed problems for development.
• Only literate applicants may apply.

A lithograph is a print made from lithography. What is lithography? It is a printmaking technique commonly used when a text is being printed. It can also be used to print onto a stone, or hard materials.

• The artist was famous for her litographs.

Middle class is the social class between upper and lower class. It consists of the people who aren’t super poor and aren’t super rich. The adjective bourgeois means relating to or typical of the middle class.

• Our rich neighbors looked down on us because we were only middle class.

Miniatures are used in film when something is too expensive or difficult to film in real life. They create a scene on a much smaller scale, and film it in a way that makes it look real.

Motif is a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or artistic work. It can be a design or figure that consists of recurring colors or shapes, as in design or architecture. Or, a theme that is elaborated in a piece of music. Most artists have some time of motif that they base their work off of. An example used in a sentence,

• A motif in the artist’s work was a struggle for power.

An ordinary, unexciting thing is mundane. Extaordinary is a perfect antonym for mundane. If you want to go on an adventurous vacation and it ends up being mundane, you would be disappointed. Used in sentences:

• I wanted a new date night, but my husband planned a mundane date of dinner and a movie.
• After she got done traveling, she moved back to her small hometown and found it to be very mundane.

Definition: A painting or other work of art executed directly on a wall

Example sentences:

• Painting traditionally was done in tempera in the form of murals on temple walls as well as on cloth and paper She spent much of her time in the school's hallways creating murals on the walls.

To narrate is to tell a story or to say the words that are heard as part of (a movie, television show, etc.) Here are example sentences:

• The film is narrated by one of the Nine, Jefferson Thomas, who died in 2010.
• The author narrates her story in great detail.

Narration is the act of telling a story, usually in a chronological order. Narration is the voice of whoever is telling, or writing a story. For example:

• The movie’s narration was done by a famous actor.​
• Some distinguishable features of regionalist writing include informal language of narration and description of minute details of nature.

Definition: Relating to neoclassicism.

Example sentences:

• Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century.

Definition: Neoclassicism is a revival of the styles and spirit of classic antiquity inspired directly from the classical period.

Example sentences:

• Neoclassicism is a revival of the styles and spirit of classic antiquity inspired directly from the classical period, which coincided and reflected the developments in philosophy and other areas of the Age of Enlightenment, and was initially a reaction against the excesses of the preceding Rococo style.

Someone who is nouveau-rich is someone who has just recently become wealthy and enjoys spending money. They may be someone who sold their business, or recently inherited a lot of money, but they aren’t frugal with it.

• Our nouveau-rich neighbor just bought six new cars, even though his garage can only fit two.

When something originates or when someone originates it, it begins to happen or exist.

Example sentences:

• You can originate the idea of adding a fancy new coffee machine to your company's break room.
• A carpet that originates in Turkey can travel all the way to an apartment in New York. The soya bean originated in China is used as 'green manure' to enrich the soil for growing other crops.
• The continental crust is thought to have originated from the movement of magma when plate tectonics first formed billions of years ago.
• Jupiter's moons most likely originated from passing asteroids that were captured into orbit. 
   

Ornamentation can be referred to as the materials used for decoration. Ornamentation is typically used to make something pretty, or fancier. Try to remember this word by thinking of Christmas ornaments that people use to make their Christmas tree look more beautiful.

A pamphlet is a small book usually made out of paper that is about a special area of interest. You will normally get them from people who want to inform you- either of a service or a cause. Politicians, small businesses and university clubs are just a few examples of people who distribute pamphlets. ​

• I've compiled my favorite diet plans, meal recipes, and meal ingredients into a handy pamphlet for easy reference.
• The school distributed pamphlets to promote good dental hygiene.

The word peasant can mean several things, but in general, it is an agricultural labourer, or a country person. In olden times, it means someone who is at the bottom of the classes, who lacks culture or education. Used in a sentence:

• The prince had several peasants who worked in his fields.
• The peasant complained about the poor working conditions.

Popularity is the quality of being well-liked and having a lot of supporters and admirers.

Acupuncture has grown in popularity in the West.

In the United States, Americans reportedly preferred alternative therapy in the year 1990, and they are typically spending $US 12 billion annually on unorthodox therapy methods. In Australia, the fading popularity of orthodox medical care has allowed for alternative therapy methods to emerge more substantially.

The popularity of ragtime was enhanced by the easy availability of sheet music, which was pressed cheaply and distributed widely.

A portrait is a portrayal of a person, usually showing their face, but not always. It can be in the form of a painting, sculpture, etc. In art museums, there are many portraits of famous people in history and pop culture.

• The president wanted to have his portrait painted in the gardens of the White House.

Definition: The art of painting or taking portraits:

Example sentences:

• While employed by major commercial studios in Pittsburgh, Detroit and Toronto, he continued his studies of fine art, specializing in portraiture, figure, and plein air landscape painting.

Portray is a verb that has several different meanings, all of which centralize around the idea of representing someone, or something.

Portray can be used to represent abstractly, typically in paintings, drawings or sculptures.

• The painter’s goal was to portray the struggle between the middle and working class.

We can also use this word when making a portrait of something or someone.

• The actress wanted to portray the Queen as she was when she was younger.

We can also use portray when we are assuming the character. For example:

• The book portrays the principal as a villain.

Lastly, you can use portray when you are writing, or to portray in words.

• The book portrays the student as being reckless and irresponsible.

Dorothea Lange's photographs are an accurate portrayal of the Great Depression.

The artist's works were known for their accurate portrayal of the Old West.

Precede means to move forward, to continue, or to come before. A short speech will precede dinner. This means that a short speech will come before dinner. If B is preceded by A, then B came before A.

Definition: A person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner:

Example sentences:

• In his literary spirit he is a precursor of the humanists of the Renaissance.
• The pre-meal selection of chutneys is a precursor of the sharp flavours to come.

Definition: A thing that has been followed or replaced by another

Example sentences:

• The road bridge was built over the town's railway line to replace its predecessor, because of safety concerns.

Prefabricate is to produce synthetically, artificially or stereotypically and unoriginally. Basically, the meaning is mass production. Nothing that is prefabricated is original, or one of a kind. An example in a sentence:

• The material was cheap and prefabricated, so my mother didn’t want to use it to make my dress.

The noun "prevalence" means the fact or condition of being widespread or being common. Here are example sentences:

• The prevalence of ragtime music allowed black music to gain widespread exposure in white communities.
• Ireland currently has the highest prevalence of asthma in Europe and it is still on the increase.
• The prevalence of smartphone addiction among teenagers is high across the globe.
• The prevalence of obesity in the Western world is 20-30 percent and is increasing.
• Within the twentieth century, television and movies attained an undeniable prevalence across the world. 
• Jazz developed musically from the upbeat swing of 19th-century ragtime. Ragtime reached prevalence as a form of the blues with higher tempos and more instrumentation.

We can use "prevalent" to describe something (usually a condition, practice, style, disease, or belief) that is widespread.  Here are example sentences:

• During the early part of the 1920s, New Orleans Jazz was prevalent in many nightclubs in Chicago.
• Smoking is becoming increasingly prevalent among younger women.
• Solvent abuse is especially prevalent among younger teenagers.
• The disease is even more prevalent in Latin America.
• Shopping via smartphone is becoming increasingly prevalent.
• Fast food consumption is prevalent in developed countries.

Definition: (Of an artist, author, or composer) producing many works:

Example sentences:

• He was a prolific composer of operas

The noun "prominence" means the state of being prominent, and prominent means famous or well-known, so if someone or something is in a position of prominence, they are well-known and important. You will see and hear the phrases "come to prominence" and "rise to prominence" a lot. These two phrases basically mean "become renowned".  Take a look at the following example sentences:

• Carla Bley is an American jazz musician and composer who came to prominence in1960s.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger achieved fame as a Hollywood action hero, and first came to prominence as a bodybuilder,
• With the end of the war, many of the leading minds in Dada moved over to Paris. Paris quickly rose to prominence in the Dada movement as being a centre for performing arts, literature, exhibitions and commentary. 

Prominent means "sticking out above the rest either in a literal sense like a prominent nose or a figurative one like a prominent figure in the industry".

In a literal sense, it means sticking out in a way that is easily seen or noticed. For example:

• He has a prominent nose.
• This is most prominent peak in the mountain range

In a figurative sense, it means important, famous, and well-known. For example:

• Claude Monet is a prominent artist of impressionism.

Definition: The most perfect or typical example of a quality or class:

Example sentences:

• Benjamin Franklin must have been the quintessence of self-improvement because he actually made a list of thirteen important virtues and tracked his progress in abiding by the list.
• The corruption scandal was reported as the quintessence of dirty politics.

A replica is a copy of the original. Many famous paintings that you see aren’t originals, but they are copies, or replicas of the original. Replica is the noun form of the word, replicate is the verb. If you replicate something you are making a copy.

• The museum gift shop has lots of replica paintings for sale.
• I was frustrated when I saw that my coworker had replicated my idea as her own!

When something such as the economy, a business, a trend, or a feeling is revived or when it revives, it becomes active, popular, or successful again. Example sentences:

• The fine arts revived during the Renaissance.

Used as an adjective, secular is used to describe something that is not religious, or a characteristic of the temporal world rather than the spiritual world. For example:

• The book is based off a secular drama.

On the other hand, non-secular is something that is religious, or related to religion. For example:

• Non-secular art was on the rise after the missionaries moved into town.

Something that is shimmering is shining with a soft, tremulous light. You can often think of the beach shimmering in during the sunrise, or a beautiful dress shimmering in the light.

• The fresh snow looked beautiful as it was shimmering across our front lawn.

Subvert is a verb that has several meanings, but the biggest one to take away is to destroy completely. It can destroy property or hinder operations, corrupt, or cause the downfall of something.

• We must not let the crisis subvert our ethics and good nature.
• We must subvert the middle class if we want a successful utopia.

Turmoil is a violent disturbance, or a disturbance by form of protest. If all of a sudden, the entire class is throwing their food at each other, you could consider the classroom to be in turmoil. If a country has a civil war, it would be a country in turmoil. Examples used in a sentence:

• There wasn’t enough food for the country, it was in turmoil.
• The art resignated from the turmoil amongst the people.

Urbanites refer to people who live in the city, compared to the country or rural areas. Notice the base word “urban”, which should help you remember the meaning.

The noun "usher" means a person who shows people where to sit, especially at a ceremony or when attending a theater or other venue.

• The usher led us to our seats in the theater.

• Ushers are usually present at large events to assist guests.

• Please ask the usher for help if you cannot find your seat.

Vassals are labourers, or workers who worked in the fields or on land that was not owned by them, but owned by lords. In Medieval times, there were far more vassals than lords, whilst the lords had most of the wealth and power.In Medieval times, vassals were better off than peasants, but worse off than lords.

As a noun, a visionary is a person with unusual powers of insight, or a person with fanciful expectations with little regard for what is possible.

Normally, inventors, artists and musicians are considered visionaries because they think outside the box.

Visionaries have a big, grand idea of something that hasn’t been done before and they do it.

Many people consider Michael Jackson a visionary of music, and Picasso a visionary of art.