International Fine Art Academy

In the architecture of castles, an opening in the floor of an overhanging gallery through which defenders dropped stones and boiling liquids on attackers.

Long cords knotted to form a pattern. This is an old craft revived to great popularity in the 1960s and 1970s.

 Spotted; stained; blotched. Or, defiled; impure. The opposite of immaculate.

A color also known as fuchsia and hot pink; a moderate to vivid purplish red or pink, named after the town ofMagenta, in northwest Italy. Magenta is one of the four colors in the four color process for reproduction color in printcalled CMYK. The CMYK process creates the color spectrum using cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

A precursor to the modern slide projector, an optical instrument having either a way to use sunlight or a candle (and later an oil lamp, "oxy-hydrogen limelight," or "arclight") and a lens through which an image painted or printed on aglass plate was projected and enlarged. Early in the 15th century an Italian named Giovanni de Fontanadescribed a lantern to which a picture was attached in such a way that it would project the picture onto a wall. The first magic lanterns to employ lenses were developed in the mid-17th century. Historians disagree about who was the first to invent the device. It appears to have been the product of a number of small improvements. By the early 19th century numerous itinerant projectionists traveled around Europe with magic lanterns and collections of slides, putting on shows wherever they could draw a paying audience. Multiple projectors allowed for the dissolving of one image into another. Some slides boasted special effects. Some had extra layers that could be moved across each other. One of these, very popular with children, was The Rat-Swallower. One rat after another could be made to appear to jump into the open mouth of a sleeping man! A narrativesequence could be presented, such as the one created in England about 1812 to tell the story a battle between a British warship and a French one. A narrator told the audience how it happened while the pictures were projected, ending on an image of the French ship in flames. (Remind you of the 2003 movie Master and Commander?) In the middle of the 19th century, with the invention of photography and the availability of magic lanterns for use in one's home, the number of magic lantern slides produced increased tremendously. Commercially available sets of slides often featured photographs of famous places and celebrities, or actors performing allegories. The popularity of magic lanterns ended with the invention of cinematography at the end of the 19th century.

 This term refers to the genre in which artists depicted extreme realism in the most ordinary subject matter. Also, magic realism is often associated with the Post-Expressionist movement.

The Make An Offer feature allows a Seller to receive price-based offers from buyers, which can be accepted at the discretion of the Seller. This feature is only available for Purchase Now listings, and once a Buyer's Offer has been accepted by the Seller, the listing ends. Each offer is binding, just like a bid, and good for 48 hours. When an Offer is accepted, all remaining buyers are automatically declined by the Make an Offer system.

 painting, prints, works on paper. Mannerism refers to the style developed during the 16th Century, characterized by its focus on space and light, dramatic use of color and distorted space and perspective. It began around the end of the High Renaissance and lasted until the arrival of Baroque in 1600

Mannerist art can be identified by elongated forms, unusual colors and lighting, and irrational spatial relationships.

Markings are any kind of notation done by the artist on a work of art.

Any identifying features found on an item for sale (e.g., signature, stamp, manufacturers mark, silver mark).

Improper use of acidic wood based matting materials will cause a "burn" or discoloration of the print where the acidic mat material contacts it. The acids will leech into the print causing the paper to turn brown or gray and to deteriorate.

 painting, works on paper, sculpture. Medieval art covers over 1000 years of art history through Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. It covered a variety of media and included many major art movements such as Early Christian Art, Celtic Art, Pre-Romanesque art and Carolingian art, among others. 

The material/materials an artist utilized in creating a work of art, such as oil paint, acrylic or bronze. The material that a work was created on, such as canvas or wood, is also considered part of the medium. For example, one might say that the medium of an oil painting is "oil on canvas."

 painting, works on paper. Metaphysical refers to the art movement created by Italian artists Giorgio de Chirico and Carlo Carra. Painters focused on a realist approach to dream-like views of Italian cityscapes. It also helped paved the way for the development of Dada and Surrealism.

In this method of printmaking the artist creates a dark base on a metal plate using a cutting instrument called a "rocker." Then, using a scraper, the artist burnishes the plate in the areas in which he desires to achieve a lighter color. Finally, the artist inks the plate and rolls it through a press topped with a piece of paper to create the final image. 

 Functional and ornamental pieces specifically from the middle of the 20th century to date, such as furniture and ceramics - typically designer signed.

all media. This term refers to art documenting military scenes.

A miniature is a detailed painting or drawing completed on a very small scale.

A miniature is a detailed painting or drawing completed on a very small scale.

 painting, prints, works on paper, sculpture. This term refers to the simplicity found in the use of basic shapes to create an image of great beauty. Minimalism was mostly three-dimensional, but Frank Stella’s paintings were a hallmark of this movement. Other important minimalists include Carl Andre, Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt, Robert Morris and Richard Serra.

A mixed media painting employs multiple media to create a final piece. For example, a work on canvas that combines paint, ink, and collage is considered a mixed media painting.

Mono-Ha (1960s-1970s): sculpture. Mono-ha refers to the Japanese group of artists working in the 1960s and 1970s, who used both natural and man-made materials in their work. They are best known for actually rearranged materials to achieve a final product instead of creating works from scratch. 

Monochrome or monochromatic refers to any work done in gradations of a single color.

This term refers to a design created by overlapping materials creating the final image.

This term refers to a single image formed from assembling many existing images such as photographs or prints.

This term refers to the subject of a painting or a distinct element found in a work of art.

A mural is any type of painting created directly on a wall surface.