Art Glossary

Lyrical abstraction is a descriptive term characterizing a type of abstract painting closely related to Abstract Expressionism, in use from the 1940s to the present. The term can also describe two (...) read more

Magnum Photos is a photographic cooperative founded in 1947 by four photographers: Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, and David Chim Seymour. Based in New York, the organization was (...) read more

Mail Art is a populist art movement centered on the creation and exchange of small-scale artworks through the postal service. It developed out of the Fluxus movement in the 1950s and 1960s and has (...) read more

The Manifesto Invencionista was published in 1946, marking the beginning of the concrete art movement in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Written by artist Tomás Maldonado and published by the Asociación (...) read more

A maquette is a small-scale model of a sculpture that serves as a preliminary version of the final piece. It allows the artist to experiment with ideas and make adjustments without the expense and (...) read more

Marble is a rare and expensive metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized limestone. It has been used for centuries to create statues, decorative floors, and walls due to its translucency and (...) read more

A marker is a drawing tool filled with colorful inks that dry quickly. Markers come in various sizes and use different colorants, such as ink, dye, or paint. They are available with different tip (...) read more

Marouflage on canvas is a technique where a paper artwork is affixed to a canvas using a transparent adhesive. This method is often used to avoid the need for framing behind glass and is usually (...) read more

Massurrealism is a portmanteau word coined by American artist James Seehafer in 1992. He observed a trend among postmodern artists who blended themes and aesthetic styles with mass media, including (...) read more

Matter painting is a technique that involves blending thick impasto paints with materials like cement, mud, sand, or shells. The term first emerged in the 1950s to describe the works of Belgian and (...) read more

The term medium in art refers both to the type of art being created and the materials used to make the artwork. For example, painting, printmaking, and sculpture are types of art that are referred to (...) read more

Metal has been traditionally used in art for creating sculptures, jewelry, masks, adornments, tools, and weapons, often featuring decorative elements. Common types of metal used include bronze, (...) read more

Metalcut was a relief printing technique used primarily in Europe from around 1450 to 1540. The technique involved using thin metal plates. One method involved cutting or hammering away parts of the (...) read more

Mezzotint is a printmaking technique in which a copper or steel plate is roughened to produce a solid black print. The artist smooths specific areas of the plate to create a range of tones, from deep (...) read more

Minimalism is a style in music and visual arts characterized by pared-down designs and simplicity. It began in Western art after World War II, gaining prominence particularly in American visual arts. (...) read more

Mixed media refers to artwork that incorporates more than one medium within a single piece. Unlike multimedia art, which combines distinct forms of visual art and often includes elements like sound, (...) read more

A mobile is a type of kinetic sculpture consisting of an ensemble of balanced parts that hang freely and move independently or as a whole when influenced by air currents or touch. Typically made of (...) read more

Modern Realism is an art style that depicts subjects as they exist in reality. Emerging after the development of abstract art, Modern Realism combines traditional realistic representation with modern (...) read more

Meaning School of Things, Mono-ha originated in Tokyo in the mid-1960s. Instead of creating traditional artwork, the artists of Mono-ha used different materials and their natural properties to (...) read more

Monochromatic describes paintings, photographs, designs, or drawings that utilize one color or various shades of a single color. Monochromatic objects have a limited range of hues. While the term (...) read more

Monoprinting is a printmaking technique where a single impression is created from a re-printable surface, such as a lithographic stone, wood block, or metal plate. Unlike traditional printmaking, (...) read more

Monotype is a printmaking technique where an image is painted or drawn on a nonabsorbent, smooth surface, traditionally an etching plate of copper, but now also acrylic, zinc, or glass. The image is (...) read more

Montage is a film editing technique where a series of shots are edited into a sequence to condense time, convey information, and manage space within the narrative. While it primarily refers to this (...) read more

Mosaic is an art form that involves creating images by arranging many small pieces of colored tile, glass, or other materials. These pieces, often numbering in the hundreds, are placed closely (...) read more