C1 · 50 words
Fine art in Spanish
Support, technique, condition, attribution — how a catalogue speaks.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
El bodegón and « still life » name the same picture from opposite ends. The English is a translation of the Dutch « stilleven » and says what the objects are doing: nothing, holding still for the painter. The Spanish says where they came from. La bodega is the cellar, the store of wine and food, and el bodegón was first a cheap eating house — so the picture is named after the pantry it was raided for. The trace is still in the paintings: bread, a jug, a hare, laid on a stone shelf. For the polished vase of flowers Spanish reaches for el florero instead, and a catalogue keeps the two apart.
The words
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Phrase (26)
el óleo sobre lienzooil on canvasPhraseC1
Es un óleo sobre lienzo de gran formato.It is a large-format oil on canvas.
el óleo sobre tablaoil on a wood panelPhraseC1
El óleo sobre tabla se agrieta con la humedad.Oil on a wood panel cracks in damp.
la capa pictóricathe layer of paint itselfPhraseC1
La capa pictórica está muy fina.The layer of paint itself is very thin.
la reintegración cromáticathe paint added to fill a lossPhraseC1
La reintegración cromática es reversible.The paint added to fill a loss can be taken off again.
el estado de conservaciónthe state it has survived inPhraseC1
El estado de conservación es bueno.The state it has survived in is good.
atribuido aattributed to the hand ofPhraseC1
La tabla figura como atribuida a su taller.The panel is listed as attributed to the hand of his workshop.
el taller del maestrothe master's workshopPhraseC1
Salió del taller del maestro y no de su mano.It came out of the master's workshop and not from his hand.
el catálogo razonadothe complete catalogue of an artistPhraseC1
El catálogo razonado recoge cuatrocientas obras.The complete catalogue lists four hundred works.
la firma del artistathe artist's signaturePhraseC1
La firma del artista está en el ángulo inferior.The artist's signature is in the lower corner.
el boceto previothe sketch made firstPhraseC1
El boceto previo apareció debajo.The sketch made first came to light underneath.
el estudio preparatoriothe study made in preparationPhraseC1
El estudio preparatorio está en otro museo.The study made in preparation is in another museum.
el punto de fugathe vanishing pointPhraseC1
El punto de fuga está fuera del cuadro.The vanishing point lies outside the picture.
la perspectiva aéreadepth given by haze and colourPhraseC1
La perspectiva aérea da la profundidad.Haze and colour give the depth.
el encuadre pictóricothe framing of what is shownPhraseC1
El encuadre pictórico corta la figura.The framing cuts the figure off.
el formato apaisadothe landscape formatPhraseC1
Es un formato apaisado poco habitual.It is an unusual landscape format.
el retrato de cuerpo enterothe full-length portraitPhraseC1
El retrato de cuerpo entero mide dos metros.The full-length portrait is two metres tall.
la escena de génerothe scene from daily lifePhraseC1
La escena de género muestra un mercado.The scene from daily life shows a market.
la talla en maderathe carving in woodPhraseC1
La talla en madera está policromada.The carving in wood is painted in colours.
el bronce a la cera perdidathe bronze cast by the lost waxPhraseC1
El bronce a la cera perdida deja una sola pieza.The bronze cast by the lost wax leaves a single piece.
la instalación artísticathe installation filling a roomPhraseC1
La instalación artística ocupa toda la sala.The installation fills the whole room.
el comisario de la exposiciónthe curator of the exhibitionPhraseC1
La comisaria de la exposición eligió el orden.The curator of the exhibition chose the order.
el montaje expositivothe hanging and staging of a showPhraseC1
El montaje expositivo tardó tres semanas.The hanging and staging took three weeks.
el préstamo entre museosthe loan from one museum to anotherPhraseC1
El préstamo entre museos exige un seguro alto.The loan from one museum to another needs heavy insurance.
la sala climatizadathe room held at a set humidityPhraseC1
La sala climatizada mantiene el cincuenta por ciento.The room held at a set humidity stays at fifty per cent.
la luz museográficathe lighting kept low for the workPhraseC1
La luz museográfica es de cincuenta lux.The lighting kept low for the work is fifty lux.
la crítica de arteart criticismPhraseC1
La crítica de arte y el mercado no coinciden.Art criticism and the market do not agree.
Noun (m) (12)
Grammar for these: Masculine or feminine · The plural
el templetemperaNoun (m)C1
El temple seca mucho más rápido.Tempera dries much faster.
el aguafuertethe etching, a print bitten by acidNoun (m)C1
El aguafuerte se imprime en pocas copias.The etching is printed in few copies.
el grabadothe print pulled from a plateNoun (m)C1
El grabado lleva número de tirada.The print carries an edition number.
el soportethe thing the work is carried onNoun (m)C1
El soporte estaba muy dañado.The thing the work is carried on was badly damaged.
el barnizthe varnishNoun (m)C1
El barniz amarilleó con los años.The varnish yellowed over the years.
el craqueladothe net of fine cracksNoun (m)C1
El craquelado es normal a esa edad.The net of fine cracks is normal at that age.
el repintethe later paint laid over the originalNoun (m)C1
El repinte se descubrió con rayos X.The later paint was found by X-ray.
el claroscurothe play of light against darkNoun (m)C1
El claroscuro concentra la mirada.The play of light against dark holds the eye.
el empastethe paint laid on thickNoun (m)C1
El empaste tiene relieve.The paint laid on thick stands off the surface.
el bodegónthe still lifeNoun (m)C1
El bodegón reúne cuatro objetos.The still life brings four objects together.
el retablothe altarpiece of many panelsNoun (m)C1
El retablo tiene doce tablas.The altarpiece has twelve panels.
el moldethe mould broken to free the castNoun (m)C1
El molde se destruye al sacar la pieza.The mould is broken to free the piece.
Noun (f) (12)
Grammar for these: Masculine or feminine · The plural
la acuarelathe watercolourNoun (f)C1
La acuarela no admite corrección.Watercolour allows no correction.
la litografíathe lithograph, a print from stoneNoun (f)C1
La litografía usa una piedra plana.The lithograph uses a flat stone.
la imprimaciónthe ground laid under the paintNoun (f)C1
La imprimación se ve en los bordes.The ground under the paint shows at the edges.
la pátinathe patinaNoun (f)C1
La pátina se respetó en la limpieza.The patina was left alone in the cleaning.
la atribuciónthe naming of the hand behind itNoun (f)C1
La atribución cambió tras el análisis.The naming of the hand behind it changed after the analysis.
la procedenciathe record of who owned itNoun (f)C1
La procedencia está documentada desde 1820.The record of who owned it goes back to 1820.
la composiciónthe way the picture is builtNoun (f)C1
La composición es piramidal.The way the picture is built is pyramidal.
la pinceladathe brushstrokeNoun (f)C1
La pincelada es suelta y visible.The brushstroke is loose and visible.
la veladurathe thin glaze of colour over dry paintNoun (f)C1
La veladura da profundidad al rojo.The thin glaze gives the red its depth.
la policromíathe paint laid on a carvingNoun (f)C1
La policromía original se perdió.The original paint on the carving is lost.
la cartelathe label beside the workNoun (f)C1
La cartela da fecha y técnica.The label gives date and technique.
la vanguardiathe avant-gardeNoun (f)C1
La vanguardia rompió con el encargo.The avant-garde broke with working to commission.
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This list belongs to Art and culture — 29 lists and 1 450 words that can also be practised as a whole.