mannerism
mannerism Lexical Profile
mannerism Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A habitual gesture, facial expression, or distinctive way of speaking or behaving that is characteristic of a particular person.
"The actor carefully studied the former president's vocal cadence and physical mannerisms to prepare for the biographical role."
Excessive or artificial adherence to a distinctive, affected style in art, literature, music, or behavior.
"Critics noted that the novelist's late prose occasionally slipped into self-conscious mannerism and ornate artifice."
A 16th-century European artistic style and movement,often capitalized, that emerged between the High Renaissance and the Baroque period, characterized by elongated proportions, asymmetrical compositions, and stylized elegance.
"The museum's sixteenth-century gallery highlights the transition from High Renaissance balance to the elongated figures of Italian Mannerism."
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the early 19th century from the noun 'manner' combined with the suffix '-ism'. In its art-historical sense, it translates the Italian 'manierismo', from 'maniera' ('style' or 'manner'), ultimately tracing back to Latin 'manus' ('hand').