Glossary and Terms of Renaissance

Altarpiece –
A piece of art that was hung in a church or cathedral behind the altar.

Exploration Period –
A time when numerous European nations dispatched explorers like Christopher Columbus to chart and discover the globe.

An apprentice
A young lad who studies with an accomplished master in a craft or talent.

Ballet –
During the Renaissance, a style of dance with flowing postures and movements was created.

Caravel
A sailing vessel developed during the Renaissance by the Portuguese. It enhanced trade, exploration, and travel because of its excellent manoeuvrability.

The city-state
A tiny, sovereign nation controlled by a significant metropolis. During the Renaissance, this was the prevalent system of government in Italy.

Traditional art
Ancient Greek and Roman sculpture and painting. The Renaissance-era artists researched it.

The Commission
A request for the creation of a work of art in exchange for payment from the patron.

Doublet –
A men’s fitted jacket with buttons from the Renaissance.

Early Renaissance –
Painters attempted to imitate the classical artists of Ancient Rome and Greece during the era from 1400 and 1479.

Elizabethan Era –
A time frame in England during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Peace, wealth, and the English Renaissance all characterised the period.

Fresco –
A method for painting walls with wet plaster. The paint would be absorbed into the plaster once it had cured.

Guild –
A group of merchants or artisans. They trained new craftsmen and monitored the calibre of the job.

Superior Renaissance –
A time from 1475 to 1525 when perspective and space became more prominent in art as it became more realistic.

The harpsichord
An object that can be performed musically using a keyboard. Strings are plucked to produce sound when the keys are played.

Humanism –
A Renaissance way of thinking that valued people’s ideas and opinions. The study of classical literature and art was encouraged.

Landscape –
A work of art depicting a natural landscape, such as mountains, the ocean, or forests.

Lute –
A small, round-backed stringed instrument that can be played like a guitar by plucking or strumming.

A madrigal
Vocal music that was common during the Renaissance. Three to six voices sang the many melodies that were woven together in the madrigal.

Mannerism
A form of art that gained popularity in the late Renaissance and featured deformed figures and odd colour schemes.

Patron –
A person, family, or organisation that sponsors artists and pays them for their creations.

Perspective –
Painting or drawing an image in three dimensions while giving the appearance that some things are closer together than others.

Author of plays
Someone who writes plays.

Pope –
Both the leader of the Roman city-state and the Catholic Church.

Portrait –
A portrait in sculpture or painting.

Realism –
A type of art that used tricks to make the pieces look as authentic as possible.

The Reformation
An ecclesiastical schism occurred when some persons known as Protestants left the Catholic Church to found their own church.

A Renaissance person
A man of many skills, passions, and talents.

A triptych
A work of art created on three panels that could be folded into one.