Definition

1. Noun:
   • An artistic movement: A style of modern art that began in France around 1907, characterized by the depiction of subjects as arrangements of geometric shapes, fragmented surfaces, and multiple viewpoints.

Usage

• Noun:
  • Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque are considered the founders of cubism.
  • The museum has a special exhibition dedicated to early 20th-century cubism.

Advanced Usage

• Analytical Cubism: An early phase of the movement (c. 1909–1912) where forms are broken down ("analyzed") into overlapping geometric facets, often using a muted color palette.
  • In analytical cubism, the artist deconstructs an object to show it from multiple angles simultaneously.
• Synthetic Cubism: A later phase (c. 1912–1914) characterized by simpler shapes, brighter colors, and the incorporation of collage elements like newspaper or fabric.
  • The use of printed text in this painting is a hallmark of synthetic cubism.

Variants and Related Words

• Cubist (noun): An artist who creates works in the style of cubism.
  • Picasso was a leading cubist.
• Cubist (adjective): Relating to or characteristic of cubism.
  • The gallery features cubist sculptures.
• Cubistic (adjective): Another term meaning relating to cubism.

Synonyms

• Geometric abstraction: A broader term for art that uses geometric forms, though not all geometric abstraction is cubist.
• Modernist art: A general term for art movements from the late 19th to mid-20th century that broke with tradition, which includes cubism.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "A cubist perspective": A way of looking at something that considers multiple facets or viewpoints simultaneously, not just the obvious one.
  • The economist took a cubist perspective on the market, analyzing it from several conflicting angles.

Noun

1. an artistic movement in France beginning in 1907 that featured surfaces of geometrical planes