Final answer:
The size of an object in a painting in relation to a standard or normal size is referred to as the object's scale. Scale helps convey relationships and significance within the image or to real-world objects, while proportion deals with the relationship of parts within the image.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the size of an object in painting is referred to in relation to a standard or normal size, one is describing the object's scale. Scale is the relationship of parts of an image to the whole image, or to a real-world referent. For instance, in a painting that includes both a king and his servant, the size of the king compared to the servant can convey importance or status. Similarly, when comparing sculpture to actual human size, such as the large-scale public artworks of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, scale can create a dramatic, comic, or playful effect due to the unexpected size difference. Proportion, on the other hand, refers to the relationship of parts of a body or form to one another and the whole, which helps maintain a sense of realism unless intentionally altered for effect, like in Rene Magritte's Les Valeurs Personnelles where disproportionate items are used to create a surreal atmosphere.