Artistic References Vocabulary

a person with expertise in many fields

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

an enigmatic, mysterious expression

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

cunning, manipulative, and unscrupulous

“His Machiavellian tactics alienated even allies.”

characterized by poverty, social injustice, or colorful characters

“The working conditions were Dickensian.”

romantically dark, brooding, and mysterious

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

relating to involuntary memory triggered by sensory experience

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

strong contrasts between light and dark; moral ambiguity

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

a final performance or work before death or retirement

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

an improbable device that resolves a plot

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

a reminder of mortality

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