Pompier
/ˌpɒmˈpjɛər/noun
A term used for a French firefighter; in art history, a style or artist associated with grand, academic, over-decorated 19th-century French art.
Did you know?In French, *pompier* originally meant “firefighter,” but 19th-century critics also used *art pompier* to mock academic painting as stiff, ornate, and theatrically overdone.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
pompa
“A solemn procession, display, or ceremonial pageant.”
Old French
Old French
pompe
“Display, splendor, pomp; later also a fire pump.”
19th Century
French
pompier
“A firefighter; also, by extension, something flashy, ornate, or academic in art.”
Modern English
English
pompier
“A borrowed term for a French firefighter or a pompous, academic style in art criticism.”