Art

Latin dance: styles, history, technique and cultural importance Latin dance Survey of Latin dance traditions, from social forms like salsa and tango to International Latin syllabus dances, with history, key characteristics, uses and distinctions.

Laurie Anderson: experimental composer, performer, and multimedia artist Laurie Anderson Laurie Anderson (born 1947) is an American experimental artist and composer known for performance pieces that combine language, electronics, visual art and storytelling, including…

Lavender (color) — pale violet and its shades Lavender (color) Lavender is a pale violet hue named for the lavender flower. This article describes its appearance, common variants (floral, blue, gray, old), history, cultural uses, standards, an…

Letter (paper) A letter is a written message normally sent from one person to another. This article explains its form, parts, history, uses, and how it differs from modern alternatives.

Liberal arts: origins, structure, and contemporary practice Liberal arts An overview of liberal arts education: its classical roots, medieval codification, main components (trivium and quadrivium), modern aims, teaching models, and current debates over…

Ligature (writing and typography) Ligature (writing) A ligature is a single glyph formed from two or more characters. This article explains what ligatures are, their history, typographic function, common examples, and how modern font…

Lighting (Illumination): Concepts, Types, History, and Applications Lighting Lighting, or illumination, is the controlled use of light—natural and artificial—for visibility, atmosphere, function, and energy management across architecture, media, and industr…

Lilac (colour) Lilac is a light, pale violet shade named for the blossoms of the lilac shrub. It covers a range from delicate, near-pastel violets to deeper purplish tones and appears widely in f…

Limbourg Brothers — Early 15th-Century Illuminators Limbourg brothers Dutch manuscript painters Herman, Paul, and Johan Limbourg, active c. 1385–1416, famed for Les Très Riches Heures; innovators of International Gothic illumination in France and Bur…

Lime (color) Lime is a bright yellow-green hue named for the citrus fruit. It sits between chartreuse and yellow, appears in nature and design, and the CSS name maps to pure green in RGB.

Lindy Hop Lindy Hop is an American swing dance that emerged in Harlem in the 1920s–30s. It blends partner improvisation, jazz rhythms and athletic moves and today is danced socially, competi…

Line dance: group choreographies, structure, history and social role Line dance Line dance is a choreographed social dance in rows facing the same direction, built from repeating step patterns (counts, walls, tags) and found in country, pop and hip‑hop context…

List of dances Overview and organized examples of dance forms worldwide, grouped by function, region and technique, with notes on history, uses and key distinctions between major categories.

List of Renaissance artists Overview and organized guide to major Renaissance painters, sculptors, architects, and printmakers, with context on origins, characteristics, regional schools, and notable examples…

Listening: Understanding the skill of attentive listening Listen Listening is the active process of receiving, interpreting and responding to spoken and nonverbal messages. It differs from hearing and can be developed through deliberate techniqu…

Listening: understanding the active process beyond mere hearing Listening Listening is the intentional, cognitive process of receiving, interpreting, and responding to sounds or speech. It differs from passive hearing and plays a central role in communic…

Lithography: planographic printing with stone or metal plates Lithography Lithography is a planographic printing process, invented in 1796 by Alois Senefelder, that uses the repellence of oil and water on a flat surface to reproduce text and images for a…

Logo — definition, types, design principles, history and legal protection Logo A logo is a graphic mark, wordmark or symbol that identifies a person, organisation, product or service. This article outlines types, design principles, history, uses and trademark…

Love: Types, Causes, and Social Meaning Love Love is a complex set of emotions and behaviors involving affection, attachment, and care. It appears in romantic, familial, and platonic forms and has psychological, biological, a…

Luminous paint: types, properties, uses, and safety Luminous paint Luminous paint emits visible light through various mechanisms. This article explains types (photoluminescent, radioluminescent, electroluminescent, fluorescent), composition, histo…

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) Lysergic acid diethylamide Overview of LSD: its effects, history, pharmacology, therapeutic research, risks, legal status, and cultural significance in plain, neutral terms.

M. H. de Young Memorial Museum Art museum in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, founded 1895; notable collections, landmark 2005 building, and role in Bay Area cultural life.

Macro photography: techniques, equipment, and practical applications Macro photography Comprehensive overview of macro photography: definition, optical principles, common lenses and accessories, lighting and depth-of-field strategies, typical subjects, history and pr…

Madonna: the Virgin Mary in art and devotion, and the pop star Madonna Madonna refers both to the Virgin Mary and her artistic portrayals and to the American entertainer Madonna. The term spans Christian devotion, iconography, art history, and modern…

Madonna and Child (Virgin and Child) Madonna and Child Artistic subject showing the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus; widespread in Western painting and Eastern iconography, with many regional styles, historical developments, and devo…

Madonna del Cardellino (Madonna of the Goldfinch) Madonna del cardellino A compact, neutral overview of Raphael’s early high-Renaissance painting Madonna del Cardellino (c.1505–1506), its composition, symbolism, history of damage and restoration, and it…

Magenta: color properties, history, and uses Magenta Magenta is a vivid purplish‑pink hue used in printing, design and digital media. It is an extra‑spectral color, appears in CMYK printing, and is closely related to fuchsia and vivi…

Magic (illusion) — performance, techniques and history Magic (illusion) Magic (illusion) is a performing art that creates the appearance of impossible events through skill, props, psychology and staging. This article covers methods, history, common eff…

Maiko (Apprentice Geisha) Maiko A maiko is an apprentice geisha in Japan, typically training in traditional arts, dress, and etiquette. Maiko are known for distinctive kimono, hairstyles, and a multi-year apprent…

Mainstream: definition, characteristics, history, and distinctions Mainstream Overview of 'mainstream' as the dominant current in culture, media, and ideas; its traits, history, examples, and how it contrasts with alternative or countercultural movements.

Major Arcana — Tarot's 22 Trumps: Overview, History, and Uses Major Arcana The Major Arcana are 22 principal cards in a tarot deck. This article explains their structure, symbolism, historical origins, and common uses in divination, psychology, and art.

Man Ray: American Visual Artist, Photographer, and Surrealist Man Ray Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky, 1890–1976) was an American artist best known for experimental photography, photograms called "rayographs," and key contributions to Dada and Surrealist…

Mandala: symbolic circular diagram used in religion, art, and meditation Mandala Mandala — a circular geometric design representing the cosmos, the self, or a sacred space; used in Hindu and Buddhist ritual, meditation, art therapy, and decorative traditions wo…

Mangaka: the creators behind Japanese comics Mangaka Mangaka are the artists and authors who create manga. This article explains their role, working methods, career paths, notable figures, and how manga is produced and published.

Manipuri dance: classical dance form from Manipur Manipuri dance Manipuri is a classical Indian dance from the state of Manipur, noted for its lyrical grace, devotional Ras Leela repertoire, distinctive costumes (potloi), Pung drum traditions, a…

Mannerism: Late Renaissance Art Style of Elegant Distortion and Complex Composition Mannerism Mannerism: late Renaissance art movement (c.1520–1600) marked by elegant distortion, elongated figures, complex compositions and expressive stylization that reshaped painting, scul…

Mantra: sacred syllables, phrases, and their use in Indian religious practice Mantra A concise overview of mantras: definitions, types, history in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, practices (spoken, whispered, silent), uses in ritual and meditation, and modern persp…

Marble: composition, history, uses, and notable examples Marble Marble is a crystalline metamorphic rock formed from limestone. This article explains its composition, formation, historical importance, common uses, varieties and notable cultural…

Marbles (toy): materials, history, games and collecting Marble (toy) Small spherical toys made from glass, clay, stone, metal or plastic. Covers materials and sizes, common games and marble runs, collectors’ interests, regional names and brief histo…

Marc Chagall: life, style, and legacy of a modern master Marc Chagall Biography and overview of Marc Chagall (1887–1985), a Russian-French artist noted for dreamlike imagery, vivid color, Jewish themes, stained glass and influence on 20th‑century mod…

Marina Abramović: Performance artist specializing in endurance and audience interaction Marina Abramović Marina Abramović, Serbian-born performance artist based in New York, known for endurance-based works and audience interaction, influential in contemporary performance art and major…

Marker (handheld writing instrument) Marker A marker is a handheld pen-like tool that applies colored ink to surfaces. Varieties include permanent, dry-erase, highlighter and alcohol-based art markers, differing by tip, ink…

Maroon (color) Maroon is a dark reddish-brown hue named after the chestnut; used in textiles, branding, and heraldry and commonly represented in digital systems as a deep red.

Martial arts: origins, practice, styles and modern significance Martial arts A concise overview of martial arts: definitions, historical roots, common components, major styles, training methods, uses in sport and self‑defence, and cultural significance.

Master of Arts (MA): postgraduate degree in humanities and social sciences Master of Arts A Master of Arts (MA) is a postgraduate degree in disciplines such as humanities, social sciences and languages. It varies by country and institution in length, focus, and requirem…

Matryoshka: the Russian nesting doll — design, history, and cultural role Matryoshka Matryoshka, or Russian nesting doll, is a set of painted wooden figures placed one inside another. This article covers its design, origins, regional styles, cultural meanings, and…

Max Ernst: German Surrealist Artist and Innovator Max Ernst Max Ernst (1891–1976), German-born painter, sculptor and poet, pioneered Surrealist techniques such as frottage and grattage and blended collage, myth and chance to reshape 20th-ce…

Meaning of Life: Perspectives, History, and Common Interpretations Meaning of life A concise, neutral survey of how religions, philosophies, science and the arts have approached the question 'What is the meaning of life?', including major views and practical impl…