Cubism
/ˈkjuː.bɪ.zəm/noun
An early 20th-century art movement that depicts subjects using geometric forms and multiple viewpoints.
Did you know?The name Cubism was first used in French criticism after Henri Matisse reportedly mocked Georges Braque’s paintings as made of “little cubes,” and the insult became the movement’s banner.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kúbos
“a die or cube-shaped object”
Latin
Latin
cubus
“a cube or die”
Old French
French
cube
“a cube”
Early 20th Century
French
cubisme
“a term coined by critics for the new geometric style in painting”
Modern English
English
Cubism
“an art movement using fragmented geometric forms and multiple perspectives”