Daily Word of Art

A word blog by Garrett & Evan

[dailywordofart]

Francis Luis Mora. Morning news (1912). Oil, Panel 299mm x 406 mm. San Diego Museum of Art.

Expurgate

ex·pur·gateˈekspərˌɡāt/

verb

remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable from (a book or account).

Origin: early 17th century (in the sense ‘purge of excrement’): from Latin expurgat- ‘thoroughly cleansed,’ from the verb expurgare, from ex- ‘out’ + purgare ‘cleanse.’

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Maurice William Greiffenhagen. An Idyll (1891) oil on canvas w800 x h1575 cm.  Walker Art Gallery, National Museums Liverpool.

Mawkish

mawk·ishˈmôkiSH/

adjective

sentimental in a feeble or sickly way.

Origin: mid 17th century (in the sense ‘inclined to sickness’): from obsolete mawk ‘maggot,’ from Old Norse mathkr, of Germanic origin

[dailywordofart]

Hans Thoma. Summer (1872) oil on canvas Height: w104.0 x h76.0 cm.   Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany.   

Propitiate 

pro·pi·ti·ateprəˈpiSHēˌāt/

verb

win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them.

Origin: late 16th century: from Latin propitiat- ‘made favorable,’ from the verb propitiare, frompropitius ‘favorable, gracious’

[dailywordofart]

Drawing Pain - Self Portrait Abidin Dino. (1967)

schadenfreude

noun, scha·den·freu·de often capitalized \ˈshä-dən-ˌfrȯi-də\

1.a feeling of enjoyment that comes from seeing or hearing about the troubles of other people

2.  enjoyment obtained from the troubles of othersSee

Origin German, from Schaden damage + Freude joy First Known Use: 1895

[dailywordofart]

Titian. A monk with a book (1550) oil on canvas Height: 845 mm (33.27 in). Width: 745 mm (29.33 in). National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

Pedant

ped·antˈpednt/

noun

a person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning.

Origin: late 16th century: from French pédant, from Italian pedante

[dailywordofart]

Blandishment

Jean-Léon Gérôme Cleopatra before Caesar (1866), Oil on canvas

Blandishment \-dish-mənt\ n. something that tends to coax or cajole : allurement; A flattering or pleasing statement or action used to persuade someone gently.

"When all the blandishments of life are gone the coward sneaks to death; the brave lives on." - Marcus Valerius Martialis

ORIGIN Middle English blandishen, from Old French blandir, blandiss-, from Latin blandr, from blandus, flattering; see mel-1 in Indo-European roots.

Spanish: halago

French: flatterie

[dailywordofart]

Germane

Honore Daumier The Third-Class Carriage (1862-64) oil on canvas 25 3/4 x 35 1/2 in. (65.4 x 90.2 cm)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

Germane |jərˈmān| adj. relevant to a subject under consideration 

ORIGIN early 17th cent.: variant of german , with which it was synonymous from Middle English . The current sense has arisen from a usage in Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Spanish: Relacionado

French: Allié

[dailywordofart]

Obtuse

Frank Stella Harran II (1967), Polymer and fluorescent polymer paint on canvas, 120 x 240 in

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Obtuse |əbˈt(y)oōs; äb-| adj. annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand; difficult to understand; not sharp-pointed or sharp-edged; blunt.

ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense [blunt] ): from Latin obtusus, past participle of obtundere ‘beat against’ (see obtund ).

Spanish: Obtuso

French: Obtus

[dailywordofart]

Poignant

Francis Bacon Study for a Portrait of Van Gogh IV (1957) Oil paint on canvas 1524 x 1168 mm frame: 1600 x 1225 x 90 mm

Tate Gallery 

Poignant |ˈpoinyənt| adj. evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret; keenly felt; archaic sharp or pungent in taste or smell.

ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French, literally ‘pricking,’ present participle of poindre, from Latin pungere ‘to prick.’

Spanish: Conmovedor

French: Poignant

[dailywordofart]

Assiduous

Charles Wilbert White Mother (1945) lithograph in black on wove paper, image: 40.1 x 31.3 cm (15 13/16 x 12 5/16 in.) sheet: 48.2 x 39.8 cm (19 x 15 11/16 in.)

National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C

Assiduous |əˈsijəwəs| adj. showing great care and perseverance 

ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin assiduus, from assidere ‘be engaged in doing’ (see assess ), + -ous .

Spanish: Asiduamente

French: Assidûment

[dailywordofart]

Drudge

Gustave Caillebotte The Floor Scrapers (1875), Oil on Canvas, 40.16 x 57.87 in

Musée d'Orsay

Drudge |drəj| n. a person made to do hard, menial, or dull work : she was little more than a drudge around the house.

ORIGIN Middle English (as a noun): of unknown origin; perhaps related to drag 

Spanish: Esclava 

French: Peiner

[dailywordofart]

Enmity

R.B. Kitaj The Murder of Rosa Luxemburg (1960), Oil paint, ink, graphite and paper on canvas, 1530 x 1524 mm 

Tate Modern, London

Enmity |ˈenmitē| n. the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.

ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French enemi(s)tie, based on Latin inimicus (see enemy ).

Spanish: Enemistad

French: Hostilité

[dailywordofart]

Carouse

Jackson Pollock Blue Poles No. 11, 1952 (1952), Enamel and aluminium paint with glass on canvas, 212.1 x 488.9 cm

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Carouse |k-rouz| intrans v. To engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking; To drink excessively

ORIGIN German garaus, all out, drink up : gar, completely (from Middle High German, from Old High German garo) + aus, out, up; see auslander

Spanish: ir de parranda

French: ribote

[dailywordofart]

Despoil

Edgar Degas, Interior (The Rape) (1868-9), oil on canvas 81.3 cm (32in) x 1114.3cm (45in).

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Despoil |diˈspoil| v. [ trans. ] steal or violently remove valuable or attractive possessions from; plunder

ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French despoillier, from Latin despoliare ‘rob, plunder’ (from spolia ‘spoil’ ).

Spanish: Despojar

French: Spolier

[dailywordofart]

Bemused

Gustave Caillebotte Young Man at His Window (1875), Oil on canvas, 117 x 82 cm

Private Collection

Bemused |bɪˈmjuːzd| adj. preoccupied; lost in thought

ORIGIN first known use: 1735

Spanish: abstraído

French: stupéfiant

[dailywordofart]

Venerate

Eugene Delacroix Faust and Mephistopheles at the witches sabbath from Goethe Faust (1828), lithography.

Bibliotheque des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France

Venerate |ˈvenəˌrāt| v. transitive. regard with great respect; revere.

ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from Latin venerat- ‘adored, revered,’ from the verb venerari.

Spanish: Venerar

French: Vénérer

[dailywordofart]

Tertiary

Jacques-Louis David The Tennis Court Oath 20th June 1789 (1791), Pen on Paper, 66 x 101.2 cm

Chateau de Versailles, Versailles

Tertiary \ˈtər-shē-ˌer-ē, -shə-rē\ adj. of third rank, importance, or value; chiefly British : of, relating to, or being higher education; of, relating to, or constituting the third strongest of the three or four degrees of stress recognized by most linguists (as the stress of the third syllable of basketball team)

ORIGIN Latin tertiarius of or containing a third, from tertius third. First Known Use: circa 1656

Spanish: terciario

French: tertiaire