cubism

/ˌkjuˈbɪzəm/

/ˈkjubɪzəm/

Cubism is a style of art that takes landscapes, objects, and people, and transforms them into geometric shapes. Pablo Picasso was one of the most well-known masters of cubism.

Cubism began in the early 20th century, when artists started experimenting with abstract works, attempting to show many angles and planes simultaneously. They rejected realistic perspective and tone, not even trying to make their paintings look three-dimensional. Cubism was all about breaking up images and reassembling them into small, flat shapes instead. The term cubism was coined after a French art critic derided what he called "bizarreries cubiques," or "cubic oddities."

Definitions of cubism

1. noun

   an artistic movement in France beginning in 1907 that featured surfaces of geometrical planes
   types:

   analytical cubism

   the early phase of cubism

   synthetic cubism

   the late phase of cubism

   type of:

   art movement, artistic movement

   a group of artists who agree on general principles