Artistic References Vocabulary

a person with expertise in many fields

“He was a Renaissance man—musician, scientist, and entrepreneur.”

Origin: From the ideal of the well-rounded Renaissance humanist like Leonardo

an enigmatic, mysterious expression

“She answered with a Mona Lisa smile, revealing nothing.”

Origin: Leonardo da Vinci's portrait with its famously ambiguous expression

cunning, manipulative, and unscrupulous

“His Machiavellian tactics alienated even allies.”

Origin: Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince on political ruthlessness

characterized by poverty, social injustice, or colorful characters

“The working conditions were Dickensian.”

Origin: From Charles Dickens' depictions of Victorian England

romantically dark, brooding, and mysterious

“He cultivated a Byronic image—tortured, passionate, alone.”

Origin: From Lord Byron's poetry and persona

relating to involuntary memory triggered by sensory experience

“The smell triggered a Proustian flood of childhood memories.”

Origin: Marcel Proust's madeleine in Remembrance of Things Past

strong contrasts between light and dark; moral ambiguity

“The film's moral chiaroscuro made heroes and villains indistinguishable.”

Origin: Italian `light-dark`, from Renaissance painting technique

a final performance or work before death or retirement

“The album was his swan song—he retired immediately after.”

Origin: Legend that swans sing most beautifully before death

an improbable device that resolves a plot

“The sudden inheritance was a deus ex machina that solved all problems.”

Origin: Latin `god from the machine`—Greek theatrical device

a reminder of mortality

“The skull on his desk was a memento mori.”

Origin: Latin `remember you will die`—art theme and philosophy