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illustration Pastiche

Pastiche

[pah-STEESH]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, late 19th century

1.

An artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period.

2.

An artistic work consisting of a medley of pieces taken from various sources.

Examples of Pastiche in a sentence

"I prepared a jazz pastiche to perform at the reception."

"It was clearly a pastiche, but I still admired the painting."

About Pastiche

You can't order it at a restaurant, but "pastiche" has etymological ties to your favorite bowl of carbs. The Latin word "pasta" means "paste," which turned into "pasticcio" in Italian, and "pastiche" in French. You can turn a floury paste into pasta, or you can paste together various artistic styles into your own work.

Did you Know?

Have you ever heard someone say there are no new ideas? That might be a bit extreme, but the word "pastiche" describes artistic work that imitates another. It could be a pastiche of a particular artist's style or just a tribute to an entire movement, such as cubism.

illustration Pastiche

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