figural
Definition
- Adjective:
- Consisting of or forming human or animal figures: Pertaining to, representing, or composed of figures, especially of the human or animal form.
- Figurative; symbolic: Relating to representation by a figure or emblem; not literal.
Usage
- The primary use of "figural" is to describe artistic designs, patterns, or art that depicts or is composed of recognizable figures, particularly human or animal forms.
- It is often used in art history and criticism to distinguish representational art from abstract or purely decorative art.
- It can also be used in a broader, more symbolic sense, though this is less common than the specific artistic meaning.
Examples
- Adjective:
- The ancient vase was decorated with a complex figural scene of a hunting party.
- Medieval manuscripts often contain beautiful figural illustrations in the margins.
- The artist's early work was purely abstract, but she later moved to a more figural style.
Advanced Usage
- "Figural representation": The depiction of recognizable figures in art.
- The cave paintings are among the earliest known examples of figural representation.
- In some contexts, particularly in older texts or specific academic fields like rhetoric, "figural" can be synonymous with "figurative," meaning metaphorical or symbolic.
- The poet's figural language painted vivid pictures in the reader's mind.
Variants and Related Words
- Figure (n): A representation of a human or animal form; a shape or pattern.
- Figurative (adj): Departing from a literal use of words; metaphorical. (Note: While related, "figurative" is more commonly used for language, and "figural" for visual art).
- Figuration (n): The act of shaping into a particular figure; ornamentation with figures.
Synonyms
- Representational: (of art) Seeking to depict the physical appearance of things.
- Anthropomorphic: Attributing human form or characteristics to a non-human thing.
- Zoomorphic: Having or representing animal forms.
Antonyms
- Abstract: (of art) Not representing or imitating external reality.
- Non-representational: Not depicting recognizable objects or figures.
- Geometric: Characterized by or decorated with regular lines and shapes.
Related Phrases
- Figural composition: An artwork whose structure is based on the arrangement of figures.
- The painting's power comes from its dynamic figural composition.
- Figural motif: A recurring design element based on a figure.
- The figural motif of the lion symbolizes strength throughout the tapestry.
Adjective
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consisting of or forming human or animal figures
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a figural design
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the figurative art of the humanistic tradition- Herbert Read
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