Pietra Serena

Interior of Pazzi Chapel- Filippo Brunelleschi, Santa Croce, Florence, begun 1440.

Literally, 'serene stone,' a type of gray stone used for its harmonious appearance when contrasted with stucco or other smooth finish in architecture. In the photo above, articulations and trim are done in pietra serena, which stands out against the white, stuccoed walls and crisply defines the modular relationships of plan and elevation. (Frederick Hartt)

ps - today's the last day of the fiber art sale in my Etsy shop... take a look!

Pantomime

The Parting of Lot and Abraham, mosaic in the nave of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, 432-440

A method of representation used in Early Christian and medieval times which simplifies all meaning into body attitude and gesture. (Gardner)

This mosaic also features a 'device' called 'head clusters' . One set of clusters are the people 'for' and behind Lot and the other people who back Abraham. This method has a long history in Christian art.

Mannerism in Garden Design

Ligorio, Oliverieri and Tommaso da Siena, Villa d'Este, Tivoli, Italy. Begun 1550. 'This garden takes advantage of the rugged landscape for the creation of terraces and innumerable fountains; such Mannerist designs provided a total sensory experience.' (Leland M. Roth)


Mannerism - in painting, sculpture, and architecture, a style characterized by a subtle but conscious breaking of the 'rules' of classical composition - IE, displaying the human body in an off-center, distorted pose, and using harsh, non-blending colors. The aim was to unsettle the viewer. The term was coined by Vasari and used to describe the 16th century reaction to the peak of Renaissance Classicism. It refers to a style developed by painters and architects working in Italy (primarily Rome and Florence) during the years 1520s-90s beginning with , and largely derived from, the later works of Michelangelo in painting and architecture. (Brockhampton)

Conches

Interior of Hagia Sophia (532-537) Istanbul, Turkey

Conches: Semi-circular half domes. (Tansey & Kleiner) Shown in the photo and on both sides of the 'pointer'.

Corbeled Vault

Corbeled gallery in the walls of the citadel, Tiryns - a Mycenaean palace.

Corbeled Vault (or gallery): A vault formed by the piling of rocks in horizontal courses, cantilevered inward until the 2 walls met in a pointed arch. No mortar is used, and the vault is held in place only by the weight of the blocks themselves, with smaller stones used as wedges. (Gardner)

Glyptotheca

Sculpture storage

Glyptotheca: A building used for the display of sculpture. (Michael Clarke)

Photos: Maryhill museum in Goldendale, WA. Just visited there yesterday on our way back from Portland and Cannon Beach... Fabulous museum!

Frieze

Athena batteling Alkyoneos, detail of Altar of Zeus frieze, Pergamon. Marble, 7' 6 high. Staatliche Museen, Berlin. (Hellenistic Period)

Procession of elders and maidens, detail of east frieze of the Parthenon, c 447-438 B.C. Marble, 3' 6" high. Louvre, Paris.

Seated gods and goddesses, detail of the east frieze of the Parthenon, c 447-438 B.C. Marble, 3' 6" high. Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece.

(This photo is a bit fuzzy, I know, but the frieze is notated on the upper left side in the inner, top bracket.)

The part of the entablature between the architrave and the cornice; also, any sculptured or ornamented band in a building, on furniture, etc. (Gardner)

Pendentive

Interior of the Pazzi Chapel, Santa Croce, Florence. 1433-1461 by Filippo Brunelleschi.

In a domed structure, the four curved triangular segments that provide a transition from the four supporting piers to the drum or to the circular base of the dome. (Hart)

Clausura

G. & G. Solari, Certosa, Pavia Italy. (Began 1396 - completed 1492). View from the Cloister.

Clausura: Latin word for closure, used to signify the restriction of certain orders of monks and nuns to sections of their convents and to their prohibition against speaking to lay persons. (Hart)

Campanile

Drawing by Hendrik Willem Van Loon, 1937

'Originally a bell tower erected near or attached to, a church or town hall in Italy. The leaning tower of Pisa is an example; another is the great campanile of Florence, 275 ft high.' (Brockhampton)

Cloister

Cloisters of Santa Maria della Pace, 1504, Rome. Donato Bramante


In a convent or monastery, a covered walkway, usually surrounding and opening on to a courtyard. The church would be linked to other areas of the convent or monastery via the cloisters. (Brockhampton)

Notre-Dame de Amiens

Clerestory

(from Middle English clere, "lighted," plus "story") Originally the upper section of the nave of a Gothic cathedral, with its banks of large windows; hence, any elevated series of windows for light and ventilation. (leland m. roth)