Art Nouveau / Secession. An artistic movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as Art Nouveau in France and England, Jugendstil in Germany, Stile Liberty in Italy, Modern Style in Belgium, and Młoda Polska in Poland. It arose in opposition to historicism and academic art. Characteristic features include asymmetry, anti‑tectonic forms, verticality, flatness, linearity, and strong decorativeness. Motifs were drawn from nature, folk art, fairy tales, and Far Eastern aesthetics. In Poland, its most prominent representatives were Stanisław Wyspiański and Józef Mehoffer. A multicoloured decorative painting applied to walls, ceilings, or vaults of buildings.
Academicism. A movement in painting and sculpture that developed within the sphere of influence of official artistic institutions (academies of fine arts, exhibition salons, etc.), promoting traditional theory and workshop practice. The foundation of academic artists’ work was the belief that the principles governing art are intellectually knowable. Mastering them was thought to guarantee the creation of a perfect work. Content dominated over form, and the observation of nature served as the starting point for creating an “ideal nature.” Randomness was considered a flaw.
Acrylic paints. Synthetic paints, originally water‑soluble, in which the binder is an acrylic polymer. These paints are used for creating artworks in the acrylic painting technique.
Al secco. A technique for creating wall paintings on dry plaster using pigments mixed with lime milk or with a water‑based or glue‑based binder. Commonly used for making corrections in frescoes.
Alla prima. A technique of applying paint directly onto the surface without preliminary sketches, working quickly and in one session.
Amateurism. A lack of technical skill or of a recognised method within a given field, visible in the sensory qualities of artistic, literary, or even scientific creative work. The term carries a less pejorative meaning than amatorszczyzna, which is often understood as shoddy work of intentionally lowered quality. Amateurism denotes the honest effort of people without formal training to find good methods of artistic, literary, or scientific expression. It sometimes results in surprising works that do not fall far short of professional creations.
Apotheosis. An artistic representation of a person in the glory of heaven.
Artist. A person who creates a sensory manifestation with qualities that allow us to expect that this externalised creation (an object, a sound, a view) may one day become a work of art.
Attribute. An object or symbol that helps identify the depicted figure.
Authorship. An intellectual and dignitary reality that pertains to something defined as a work.
Avant‑garde. A visible manifestation of human creativity whose features allow one to recognise objectively valuable yet surprising novelty; also, a group of people who create such innovations.
Azure (lazur). A shade of blue associated with the clarity of the sky or the depth of water. In painting, when symbolism matters, azure conveys space, calm, and spirituality. It may feel cool like morning light or warm like a Mediterranean summer.