Glossary

armature:  an open framework, usually metal, made to help support a sculpture or structure.

bustle:  a framework or padding worn under a woman's skirt to puff out the back.  The fashion was popular in the late 1800's and gave the wearer an exaggerated derriere.

Grande Jatte:  an island in the Seine River near Paris.  The public park there was a popular destination for French families on holiday.

Impressionism:  a style of art that began in France in the 1870's and achieved worldwide admiration.  The Impressionists were concerned with capturing the effects of light and atmosphere as the eye perceives them under constantly changing conditions.  Characters of this style are landscapes painted in short, feathery brushstrokes and bathed in bright and pastel colors of sunlight and shadow.

pointillism:  a painting technique devised by the French artist Georges Seurat which involves applying the paint in small, closely spaced dots of color.  It is also known as divisionism and/or Neo-Impressionism.

Post-Impressionism:  a style of art originating in France near the turn of the 20th century that borrowed the Impressionists' concern with color and light, but gave more emphasis to form, line, and symbolic content.

three-dimensional:  having height, width, and depth, as opposed to being flat.  Sculpture is three-dimensional art;  paintings are two-dimensional.

topiary:  the art of trimming and/or training shrubs or trees into unnatural, ornamental shapes.  It is an ancient gardening practice, and continues to be very popular.

yew (Taxus):  a shrub characterized by dense branches and short, deep green needle-like foliage.  There are many varieties of yew, from dwarf shrubs to tall upright plants.  It is a favorite for topiary because it responds well to pruning.