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Glite Dictionary
🎨 Traditional art style 📚 Strict academic rules
academism

academism

9.9
A style of painting and sculpture that uses traditional subjects and techniques
  • noun
  • /ˌækəˈdɛmɪzəm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : academismo
  • Her painting style was criticized for excessive academism and lack of innovation.

Examples

  • Many 19th-century artists rebelled against the strict norms of academism.

  • The exhibition showcased works representing both realism and academism.

  • This painting shows academism.

  • Many artists reject academism in favor of modern techniques.

  • Many artists rebelled against the conventions of academism to express their individuality.

  • The art critic noted that the painting exemplified the principles of academism rather than contemporary styles.

  • The gallery featured several masterpieces of academism that reflected the training of European art academies.

Synonyms

art form
vsacademism
55 3.2

A particular type of art, like music, painting, or dance

is a specific conventional style within visual arts taught by academies
artistic style
vsacademism
1 4.0

A particular way an artist makes and shows art

focuses on conventional academy-taught technique and subject choices
academicism
vsacademism
  • Specialized
9.9

A style of painting and sculpture that follows traditional rules and careful technique

has identical meaning but uses a different word form
academic art
vsacademism
  • Specialized
6.6

A style of painting and sculpture that follows strict art school rules

is the general academy-influenced style not limited to those centuries

How Conventional

academism
  • Archaic
9.9
classicism
1 8.1
modernism
4 7.1
avant-garde
7 8.2

Surface Forms

academism singular
academisms plural

Morphology

academism = academic (semi-transparent) = academy + ism

Formed from 'academic' + '-ism'; the specific art-historical sense (a conventional style linked to academies) is specialized and may not be obvious to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Academism comes from academy, which goes back to the Greek place name Akademos, a 'school' where Plato taught. It was used for the way art was taught in those schools—safe, traditional painting and sculpture that follow set rules—so in art academism means a formal, rule-bound style that some people see as lacking new ideas.