Art Glossary

A portfolio is a collection of artworks or images assembled in a folder or digital format for storage or display. Artists often compile portfolios to showcase their work, either thematically related (...) read more

A print is an image or text reproduced using a template or master form. Prints are typically created by transferring ink from a prepared matrix to another material, often paper. Common matrices (...) read more

A print proof refers to any test impressions made from a printing plate or block to check the image quality before the final print is completed. These proofs are used as quality checks to ensure that (...) read more

Provenance refers to the chronology of ownership, location, or custody of an artwork. Tracing an object's provenance helps establish its authenticity and historical context by documenting its (...) read more

Recto and verso are terms used to describe the right and left pages of an open book, or the front and back of a sheet of paper. In both cases, recto refers to the right-hand page or the front of the (...) read more

A replica is a copy of an artwork that is so precisely made that it is nearly indistinguishable from the original. Artists may create replicas of their own work, or replicas can be produced for (...) read more

A triennial is a large-scale art exhibition that takes place every three years. These exhibitions often feature the latest artistic developments, works, and emerging artists on an international (...) read more

A triptych is an artwork divided into three sections or panels, often hinged together, allowing it to be displayed open or folded shut. It is a type of polyptych, a term for multi-panel artworks. (...) read more

A watermark is an image or pattern embedded into a sheet of paper during the papermaking process. Each papermaker includes a faint trademark, which becomes visible when the paper is held up to a (...) read more