Art Terms to Help You Understand Artworks
In this writing, my aim is to compile and add to our vocabulary some art terms that we encounter while examining and trying to interpret artworks seen in galleries, museums, or on social media, as well as while reading information about these pieces. By doing so, we might enhance our ability to better analyze these works and gain a deeper understanding of art and the stories behind them, potentially aiding others in deriving more from their art exploration experiences.
Sfumato
A painting technique describing the soft transition between colors. The most famous painting in art history, the Mona Lisa, provides a significant example of “sfumato,” derived from the Italian word “sfumato,” which means smoke. Leonardo da Vinci defined it as follows: “Without lines or borders, in the manner of smoke or beyond the focus plane.” In English, when applied to artworks, it refers to softened or blurred edges and lines. It is one of the painting techniques used during the Renaissance period.
Cangiante
It is a technique used by Michelangelo among the fundamental painting techniques of the Renaissance period. It’s a method of transition, connection, and softening, akin to Sfumato and Chiaroscuro. The most distinguishing feature of this technique is its complete alteration of an existing color by using another color. Bolder than Unione and Sfumato, Cangiante doesn’t soften color changes; instead, it accentuates them. In this painting style, you’ll observe greens appearing as ‘yellow’ shadows and yellows as ‘orange’ shadows.
Tenebrism
It is also known as dramatic lighting, a painting style characterized by distinct light-shadow usage, intense contrasts between light and dark, and where darkness becomes a dominant feature of the image. In Tenebrism, a dark background is often preferred, with figures in the foreground illuminated by localized light. Some parts of the figures are highlighted by light, while the rest is left in darkness.
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