Cinquecentism

/ˌtʃɪŋkwəˈtʃɛntɪzəm/ noun

Definition

An artistic or literary movement emphasizing the style and values of the Italian Renaissance in the 1500s (cinquecento).

Etymology

From cinquecento (Italian for 1500s) + -ism (suffix for movements/ideologies). Emerged in art criticism in the 19th and 20th centuries to describe admiration for Renaissance aesthetics.

Kelly Says

Cinquecentism was Renaissance nostalgia—Victorian and modern artists looked back at the 1500s as the 'golden age' of art and tried to recapture that magic in their own work.

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