Moresque

Moresque
Moresque ornament print by Peter Flotner.
Mannerist grotesque ornament drawing by the Dutch painter and architect Hans Vredeman de Vries (1527–1609), of around 1604. The figures of the fauns at bottom, and almost the dragons at top, are moresques.

Moresque is an obsolete alternative term to "Moorish" in English, and in the arts has some specific meanings. By itself the word is used of forms found in ornament and decoration in the applied arts in Europe. Often it is a synonym for arabesque or interlace patterns in the Mannerist and Northern Mannerist styles of the 16th century, derived from Islamic ornament. It was defined in 1611 by Randle Cotgrave's A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues as: "a rude or anticke painting, or carving, wherin the feet and tayles of beasts, &c, are intermingled with, or made to resemble, a kind of wild leaves, &c." [1] The word is also used for such a figure, starting off as a human or animal, but terminating as part of a decorative scheme of foliage or geometric strapwork.

In fact the origin of figures like those described by Cotgrave comes not from the Islamic world, but from the Renaissance version, influenced by the Ancient Roman grotesque decorative style, of medieval ornament, especially that found in illuminated manuscripts. Here men and beasts whose forms disappear into geometric or foliage decoration go back almost a thousand years to the interlace of Insular art seen in the Book of Kells and other manuscripts. These themselves derive from the Animal style of barbarian Europe. However the term "moresque" is not used of these medieval versions.

Other uses

See also

References

  1. ^ OED, "Moresque"
  2. ^ Monnas, Lisa. Merchants, Princes and Painters: Silk Fabrics in Italian and Northern Paintings 1300–1550. London and New Haven, Yale University Press, 2008, p. 63
  3. ^ Google books

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  • moresque — Moresque. s. f. Danse à la maniere des Mores. Il dance bien la moresque. la moresque ressemble à la sarabande Espagnole. On appelle, Moresque, Une sorte de peinture faite de caprice, qui est ordinairement composée de branchages, de feuillages,… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Moresque — Mo*resque , a. [F., fr. It. moresco, or Sp. morisco. See {Morris}.] Of or pertaining to, or in the manner or style of, the Moors; Moorish. n. The Moresque style of architecture or decoration. See {Moorish architecture}, under {Moorish}. [Written… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Moresque — [mō resk′, məresk′] adj. [Fr < Sp morisco < Moro < L Maurus,MOOR] Moorish in design or decoration, etc. n. Moorish design or decoration, characterized by intricate tracery, bright colors, gilt, etc …   English World dictionary

  • moresque — mauresque [ mɔrɛsk ] n. f. et adj. VAR. moresque • à la morisque 1379; esp. morisco; cf. maure 1 ♦ (1611) Femme maure. 2 ♦ Adj. (1447) Qui a trait à l art des Maures, spécialt des Maures d Espagne. ⇒ hispano mauresque. Architecture, palais… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • MORESQUE — adj.des deux genres Qui a rapport aux coutumes, aux usages, au goût des Mores. Les galanteries moresques. Danse moresque. Fête moresque. Architecture moresque. Le genre moresque. Édifice moresque. Palais, église dans le goût moresque .  Il est… …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 7eme edition (1835)

  • moresque — (mo rè sk ) adj. 1°   Qui a rapport aux coutumes, aux usages, au goût des Mores. Fête moresque. Édifice moresque. Costume moresque. •   Les moresques balcons en trèfles découpés, V. HUGO Orientales, III.    Danse moresque, ou, substantivement, la …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • MORESQUE — adj. des deux genres Qui a rapport aux coutumes, aux usages, au goût des Mores. Danse moresque. Fête moresque. Architecture moresque. édifice moresque. Palais, église dans le goût moresque. Il est aussi nom féminin, et alors il désigne une Sorte… …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 8eme edition (1935)

  • Moresque — Danseur de morisque. Figurine d Erasmus Grasser, 1480. Munich. La moresque (ou morisque ou mauresque[1]) est une danse du Moyen Âge, au rythme binaire et vif, importée par les Maures d Espagne. On la rencontre pour la première fois à Lérida en …   Wikipédia en Français

  • moresque — I. adjective Usage: often capitalized Etymology: French, from Spanish morisco, from moro Moor, from Latin Maurus Date: circa 1611 having the characteristics of Moorish art or architecture II. noun Usage: often capitalized Date: circa 1752 an… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Moresque — /meuh resk /, adj. Moorish. [1605 15; < MF < It moresco, equiv. to Mor(o) MOOR + esco ESQUE] * * * …   Universalium

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