Buildings and objects
Much of the art in art history sits on or in buildings: reliefs in temple friezes, stained glass in cathedrals, sculpture in altarpieces. If you know the names of the parts, you can see where the art is placed – and read the texts more easily.
Point to a part of the picture to see what it is called, or choose a name from the list alongside. The names of the parts are the ones art historians use when describing where a painting or sculpture is placed: in the metopes, in the tympanum, in the predella.
Once you have learned the parts, you can test yourself: the picture asks for one part at a time and you point it out. The parts are also included among the questions in Practice.