Art Terms Glossary

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Laid Paper
Made using a mold covered with wires to form a distinctive grid pattern of laid lines-horizontal wires placed closely together, and chain lines-more widely spaced vertical wires. This pattern transfers to the final sheet of paper and becomes and essential identifying feature.

Lames
Overlapping plates of metal forming a flexible defense. Mobility was achieved by riveting the plates to straps at the back or by means of sliding rivets.

Lance-rest
A support for the lance when couched under the right arm, consisting of a bracket riveted to the breastplate and sometimes hinged so that it could be folded away when not in use.

Lavis Manner Etching And Engraving
An intaglio method which uses tools ending in dense clusters of minute points so that the tools abrade the copper plate to leave delicately textured surfaces capable of catching just enough ink to print in filmy layers of color.

Lime
Lime is prepared by heating calcium (limestone, marble, chalk and shells) to 540 C - a process known as calcining. Lime is used in plaster, mortar, and cement to form durable aggregates. When calcium carbonate is heated, carbon dioxide is driven off leaving anhydrous calcium oxide or quicklime. When quicklime is soaked in water, it is changed to calcium hydroxide or slaked lime. Slaked lime that is dried and ground to a fine powder is called hydrated lime.

Linoleum Cut
A relief technique like woodcut but using linoleum rather than wood.

Linstock
A staff for holding the lighted match used for firing a cannon; sometimes combined with a spearhead at center for self-defense and often very decorative.

Lists
An enclosed area, usually fenced off, where tournaments were held.

Litany
A form of prayer consisting of a series of invocations for deliverance or intercession. They were addressed in a formal and hierarchical sequence to the Trinity, the Virgin, the angels, and then the saints according to their rank as apostles, martyrs, confessors, and virgins.

Lithograph
The design is drawn on a stone (or certain types of plates) with a greasy crayon or ink. Water adheres to the bare stone and not the greasy areas, while the printing ink does the opposite - it sticks to the greasy areas and not the wet stone - reproducing the design when printed.

Lithography
A process of making prints by drawing on limestone or a zinc plate with a greasy crayon. The stone or plate is then wetted and a greasy ink is applied that adheres only to the drawn lines. A damp paper is applied to the stone, and a special press transfers the ink onto the paper to produce the final print.

Liturgy
The form(s) of the Church's public worship; ritual.

Lock
The ignition mechanism for a gun.

Louvre
One of the most important museums in the world, the Louvre was constructed by King Philippe-Auguste in 1190 as a fortress. In 1360 Charles V transformed the fortress into a royal residence. Though famous for its extraordinary collection since 1726, it was not until 1793 that the Louvre opened its doors to the public. The collection includes European paintings from 1400-1900, European sculptures from 1100-1900, Asian art, Egyptian art, Greek and Roman art, furniture, and jewelry.

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