Art Dictionary for Elementary

artificial covering for all or part of the face, or for the whole head, associated with theatrical or ritual performances in many cultures.

the period of European history from about A.D. 500 to about A.D. 1500.

a standpoint midway between extremes; middle distance.

movement in abstract art (most sculpture) and music towards severely simplified composition. Minimal Art developed in the USA in the 1950s in reaction to Abstract Expressionism, shunning its emotive approach in favor of impersonality and elemental, usually geometrical, shapes. It has found its fullest expression in sculpture, notably in the work of Carl Andre, who employs industrial materials in modular compositions.

in the arts, a general term used to describe the 20th century's conscious attempt to break with the artistic traditions of the 19th century; it is based on a concern with form and the exploration of technique as opposed to content and narrative.

the (also known as La Gioconda) oil painting by Leonardo da Vinci 1503-06 (Lourve, Paris) a portrait of the wife of a lorentine official, Francesco del Giocondo, which according to Vasari, Leonardo worked on for four years.

(French, motif) a visual theme; something (as a need or desire) that causes a person to act.

(Latin murus "wall") decoration of walls, vaults, and ceilings by means of fresco, oil, tempera, or encaustic painting methods.