Forms

Neoclassicism

An eighteenth- and nineteenth-century artistic movement that renewed the forms, subjects, restraint, and ideals associated with ancient Greek and Roman art.

Netsuke

A small Japanese carving traditionally used as a toggle to secure a suspended container or pouch to the sash of a kimono.

Nimbus

A circular halo or disk surrounding the head of a sacred or exalted figure in religious and symbolic imagery.

Nude

The unclothed human figure treated as a principal artistic subject, especially central to the history of classical and Western sculpture.

Naturalism

An artistic mode in which forms are based closely on direct observation of the visible world rather than on strong stylization or abstraction.

Negative Space

A conventional art and design term for the empty or open space around, between, or enclosed by solid forms in a composition.

Nemes

The striped royal headcloth worn by ancient Egyptian pharaohs and frequently represented in Egyptian statuary and relief.

Jamb Figure

A sculpted figure placed on the jamb or embrasure of a portal, especially characteristic of Romanesque and Gothic architectural sculpture.

Kinetic Sculpture

Sculpture in which actual movement is an essential part of the work, driven by wind, motors, gravity, mechanical systems, or viewer interaction.

Kore

An Archaic Greek statue type representing a standing draped young woman or maiden; the plural is korai.