Art Glossary

Condition & Conservation

Bitumen deterioration

Bitumen was a popular dark pigment in the nineteenth century. As it ages, it darkens and becomes cracked and bumpy. This is irreversible and can affect value, though it's accepted as characteristic of certain period works.

Canvas tear repair

A patch applied to the reverse of the original canvas to repair a hole or tear. Professional repairs have minimal impact on value; poor-quality repairs may detract from it.

Condition report

A detailed written description of an artwork's physical state, noting any damage, repairs, or areas of concern.

Craquelure

A network of fine cracks caused by the paint or varnish shrinking over time. Often considered a mark of age and authenticity rather than damage, and rarely affects value.

Discolouration

Changes to the original hues of the paint. This can result from ageing varnish, atmospheric pollution (such as soot or nicotine), or chemical reactions between paint layers. Varnish discolouration can often be addressed by a conservator; other causes may be more difficult to treat.

Foxing

Brown spots that appear on paper and textiles as a result of ageing. Light foxing is common in older works on paper and generally accepted; heavy foxing may affect value.

Impressions/marks from stretchers

A line of cracks where the canvas has pressed against the inside edges of the stretcher bars. Common in older paintings and generally considered minor unless severe.

Loss

An area where the paint is missing, typically the result of flaking or abrasion. Significant losses in prominent areas will affect value; minor losses in margins or dark areas may be acceptable.

Mount/acid burn

A brown line that appears as a result of acidic framing materials. Acid-free paper has only been widely available to framers in recent decades. This is permanent and can affect value depending on severity and visibility.

Overpainting

Paint not applied by the original artist, usually added to cover damaged areas. This may affect an artwork's value and authenticity, particularly if extensive or poorly executed.

Relining

A layer of canvas applied to the reverse to strengthen the original support. Common in older works and generally not detrimental to value if done professionally.

Surface dirt

Accumulated grime and dust. Over time, this can become embedded into the paint surface. Surface cleaning by a conservator can often improve appearance significantly. However, some prefer the look and patina of aged vintage artworks – choosing to keep surface dirt for a more vintage look.

Warping

Where the support has become twisted or bent so that the surface is no longer flat. Minor warping is common in older panels; severe warping may affect display.

Mediums & Techniques

Aquatint

A printmaking technique that produces areas of tone rather than lines, giving the effect of a watercolour wash when printed.

Artist's proof (A/P)

A print set aside for the artist, outside the numbered edition. Often considered more collectible.

Charcoal

Burned wood used as a drawing medium, producing rich blacks and soft, easily blended tones.

Drypoint

A printmaking technique where a copper plate is scratched with a sharp needle. The resulting lines are typically short, scratchy, and softly defined.

Edition number

For prints, this indicates the print's number within a limited run (e.g., “3/50” means the third print in an edition of fifty). Lower edition numbers are sometimes more sought after.

Engraving

A printmaking technique where incisions are cut into a metal plate. The physical demands of the process produce steady, considered lines, often arranged in neat parallel formations.

Etching

A printmaking technique where lines are drawn into a wax-coated metal plate, then acid bites the drawing into the metal. The result has a fluid, sketch-like quality.

Giclée

A high-quality digital print, often used for contemporary reproductions. The term comes from the French word for ‘spray’.

Gouache

A water-based paint similar to watercolour but opaque, giving a flat, matte finish.

Graphite / Pencil

The standard drawing medium, capable of a wide range of tones from delicate grey to rich black.

Impasto

Thick application of paint to create a textured, three-dimensional surface.

Ink wash

Diluted ink applied with a brush, creating soft tonal gradations similar to watercolour.

Linoprint

A printmaking method where an image is cut into linoleum, leaving the design raised for inking.

Lithograph

A printmaking method based on the principle that oil and water don't mix. The image is drawn with a greasy substance onto stone or metal, then inked and printed.

Mezzotint

An engraving technique that creates soft gradations of tone, popular in the eighteenth century for reproducing oil paintings.

Mixed media

A work combining multiple materials or techniques, such as collage with paint, or ink with pastel.

Monotype

A printmaking method where an image is painted onto a nonabsorbent surface and transferred to paper by pressing. Each print is unique.

Oil

Pigment bound in drying oil (typically linseed), usually applied to canvas or panel. Its slow drying time allows for rich blending and layering.

Pastel

Sticks of powdered pigment bound with minimal gum, giving a soft, velvety finish. Pastels can be delicate and are often glazed for protection.

Plate mark

The rectangular indentation left on paper by the edges of a printing plate, visible on etchings, engravings, and other intaglio prints.

Remarque

A small sketch or drawing in the margin of a print, often making it more collectible. Remarques were sometimes removed in later editions.

Sanguine

A reddish-brown chalk traditionally used for drawing.

Silkscreen

A printmaking method where ink is pushed through a mesh stencil onto paper or fabric.

Watercolour

Pigment suspended in a water-soluble binder, applied to paper. Known for its luminous, translucent quality.

Woodcut

A printmaking method where an image is carved into the side grain of a wooden block, leaving the design raised.

Wood engraving

Similar to woodcut, but carved into the harder end grain, allowing for finer detail.

Subjects

Architectural

Depictions of buildings, interiors, ruins, or structural details.

Botanical

Detailed depictions of plants, flowers, or fungi, often with scientific accuracy.

Equestrian

Artwork featuring horses, often with riders or in sporting contexts.

Genre scene

Depictions of everyday life and ordinary people, in contrast to the idealized subject matter of history painting, portraiture, or religious art.

Landscape

Depictions of natural scenery such as countryside, mountains, forests, or rivers.

Life drawing

Drawing from a live model, typically nude.

Nude

Artistic depiction of the unclothed human form, one of the classical subjects in Western art.

Pastoral

Idealized rural scenes, often featuring shepherds, livestock, or tranquil countryside.

Portrait

A depiction of a specific person, capturing their likeness and often their character.

Seascape / Marine

Scenes of the sea, coast, ships, or maritime life.

Still life

Arrangements of inanimate objects such as flowers, fruit, vessels, or household items.

Styles & Movements

Abstract

Art that does not aim to depict reality accurately, instead using shapes, colours, and gestural marks to achieve its effect.

Art Deco

A bold, geometric style popular in the 1920s–30s, characterised by symmetry, rich colours, and lavish ornamentation.

Art nouveau

A decorative style characterized by flowing, organic forms inspired by plants and natural curves.

Biedermeier

A style from the German-speaking world (1815–1848) reflecting middle-class values: domestic comfort, modesty, and a focus on the everyday.

Bloomsbury

Associated with the Bloomsbury Group, a circle of artists and intellectuals in early twentieth-century London known for their bold use of colour and progressive ideas.

Classical

Referencing the art and culture of ancient Greece or Rome.

Cubism

An early twentieth-century style pioneered by Picasso and Braque that fragments subjects into geometric forms, showing multiple viewpoints simultaneously.

Expressionism

Art that prioritizes subjective emotion and inner experience over realistic depiction.

Folk art

Art made by self-taught artists outside the academic mainstream, typically characterized by bold colours and flattened perspective.

Illustration

An image originally created to accompany text, such as in a book or magazine.

Impressionism

A nineteenth-century movement characterized by visible brushwork, an emphasis on light, and scenes of modern life.

Mid-century

A design and art movement from roughly 1945–1970, characterized by clean lines, organic forms, and a blend of traditional and nontraditional materials.

Miniature

A small painting, usually a portrait, typically under 15cm (6 inches) in any dimension.

Modernism

A broad early twentieth-century movement marked by experimentation and a rejection of traditional artistic conventions.

Naïve

Art characterized by childlike simplicity, often (but not always) made by self-taught artists.

Plein air

Painted outdoors, directly from the subject, rather than in a studio. Associated with Impressionism.

Post-Impressionism

A term for various styles that developed in reaction to Impressionism in the late nineteenth century, including the work of Cézanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin.

Pre-Raphaelite

A mid-nineteenth-century British movement favouring vivid colour, intricate detail, and medieval or literary subjects.

Realism

In its specific sense, a nineteenth-century movement depicting ordinary people and everyday life. More broadly, art painted in a realistic manner.

Romanticism

A late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century movement emphasizing emotion, individualism, nature, and the sublime.

Surrealism

A twentieth-century movement exploring the unconscious mind, resulting in dreamlike or illogical imagery.

Frames & Presentation

Gilt/gilt-effect

Gold leaf, or paint applied to give the appearance of gold leaf.

Ornamentation

Decorative embellishments on a frame.

Running pattern

Ornamentation applied in a continuous design around all sides of the frame.

Slip

A thin inner moulding fitted within a larger frame, often used to create visual separation between the artwork and the main frame.

Washline mount

Hand-drawn decorative lines on a mount, usually in watercolour or ink.

Mount

A card border placed around an artwork within a frame, also known as a mat (in American English). Mounts serve both aesthetic and protective purposes: they create visual breathing room around the work and prevent the art from touching the glass.

Attribution & Authenticity

After

A copy of a known artwork by another artist.

Attributed to

We use this term when an artwork may be by the named artist but there is insufficient proof to confirm authorship definitively.

Bears signature

The work is signed, but we do not believe it to be an authentic work by the named artist. It may be a copy or later imitation.

Circle of

We believe the work was made by someone in the named artist's immediate circle – perhaps a student, apprentice, or close contemporary.

Manner of / Follower of

An artwork made in the style of the named artist, but not necessarily by someone who knew them directly.

Original

A unique artwork created by the artist, as distinct from a reproduction or print.

Provenance

The documented ownership history of an artwork. Strong provenance can increase value and help establish authenticity.

Reproduction

A copy of an artwork, typically produced mechanically (e.g., as a print or poster) rather than by hand.

School of

Made in the same region or artistic tradition as the named artist, but without a direct personal connection to them.

Signed

The artwork bears the artist's signature, usually indicating it was completed and approved by them.

Studio of

Produced in the artist's workshop or studio, possibly with their involvement or supervision.

Unsigned

The artwork does not bear a visible signature. Many authentic works are unsigned.

Paper & Materials

Deckled edges

A soft, feathered edge on paper, either naturally occurring from traditional papermaking or deliberately created for aesthetic effect.

Laid paper

Paper with a ribbed texture, the predominant form before mechanized papermaking. The parallel lines are visible when held to light.

Wove paper

Paper with a smooth, uniform texture, made using a finely woven wire mesh mould. It became widespread from the late eighteenth century and is now the standard paper type. Unlike laid paper, it shows no visible ribbed lines when held to light.

Board / Panel

A rigid support for painting, typically wood, cardboard, or composite material. Paintings on board are often more stable than canvas but can be prone to warping.

Canvas

Woven fabric stretched over a wooden frame (stretcher bars), used as a support for painting. Historically made from linen; cotton became common in the twentieth century.

Cartridge paper

A sturdy, off-white paper with a slight texture, commonly used for drawing and sketching.

Cotton canvas

A more affordable alternative to linen canvas, widely used from the nineteenth century onwards. It has a regular, mechanical weave.

Gesso

A white primer applied to canvas or board to create a smooth surface for painting. Traditional gesso uses rabbit-skin glue and chalk; modern versions are acrylic-based.

Linen canvas

A high-quality canvas made from flax fibres, prized for its durability and fine, irregular weave. Often found in older and higher-quality paintings.

Stretcher bars

The wooden frame over which canvas is stretched. Wedges (keys) in the corners can be adjusted to keep the canvas taut.

Vellum

A fine writing and painting surface made from animal skin (traditionally calf). Used historically for manuscripts and miniatures.

Watercolour paper

Absorbent paper designed for water-based media. Available in different textures: hot-pressed (smooth), cold-pressed (medium texture), and rough.

Condition Ratings

Unless otherwise stated, all artworks are sold in a pre-owned condition. Like most antique and vintage pieces, they may show minor imperfections consistent with age and use. We believe these natural signs of wear add to each artwork's authenticity and unique character. Every listing includes detailed descriptions and photographs to give you a clear, accurate representation of the piece, so you can purchase with confidence.

Still have questions? Contact our team – we're always happy to assist with your condition queries.