29 July 2015
baroque
[buh-rohk; French ba-rawk]
adjective
1. (often initial capital letter) of or relating to a style of architecture and art originating in Italy in the early 17th century and variously prevalent in Europe and the New World for a century and a half, characterized by free and sculptural use of the classical orders and ornament, by forms in elevation and plan suggesting movement, and by dramatic effect in which architecture, painting, sculpture, and the decorative arts often worked to combined effect.
2. (sometimes initial capital letter) of or relating to the musical period following the Renaissance, extending roughly from 1600 to 1750.
3. extravagantly ornate, florid, and convoluted in character or style:
the baroque prose of the novel’s more lurid passages.
4. irregular in shape:
baroque pearls.
noun
5. (often initial capital letter) the baroque style or period.
6. anything extravagantly ornamented, especially something so ornate as to be in bad taste.
7. an irregularly shaped pearl.
Origin of baroque
French, Portuguese, Spanish, Medieval Latin
1755-1765; < French < Portuguese barroco, barroca irregularly shaped pearl (of obscure origin; compare Spanish berrueco, barrueco granitic crag, irregular pearl, spherical nodule), probably conflated with Medieval Latin baroco invented word for a kind of obfuscating syllogism
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for baroque
Contemporary Examples
It was impossible to focus on the actress, as she was wearing a gown that was as grand—and busy—as a baroque tapestry.
(Rooney Mara, Michelle Williams, Kristen Wiig: 2012 Oscars’ Best, Worst, and Wilted, Robin Givhan
February 26, 2012)
Inside, the club is built like a baroque theater, with a dance floor in the center and rows of loggias up the walls.
(Russia’s Gold Digger Academy, Peter Pomerantsev, November 10, 2014)
The clavecinistes of the French baroque were especially keen on the idea.
(For the Birds! – and Art Lovers, Blake Gopnik, December 9, 2013)
Anagram
qua robe
Today’s quote
Heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with neighbours, films, football, beer, and above all, gambling, filled up the horizon of their minds. To keep them in control was not difficult. A few agents of the Thought Police moved always among them, spreading false rumours and marking down and eliminating the few individuals who were judged capable of becoming dangerous; but no attempt was made to indoctrinate them with the ideology of the Party. It was not desirable that the proles should have strong political feelings. All that was required of them was a primitive patriotism which could be appealed to whenever it was necessary to make them accept longer working-hours or shorter rations. And even when they became discontented, as they sometimes did, their discontent led nowhere, because being without general ideas, they could only focus it on petty specific grievances. The larger evils invariably escaped their notice.
– George Orwell, ‘1984‘
On this day
29 July 1565 – marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots, to her cousin, Lord Darnley.
29 July 1836 – the Arc de Triomphe is inaugurated in Paris.
29 July 1848 – the failed nationalist Tipperary Revolt against English rule, which occurred during the Great Potato Famine in Ireland.
29 July 1860 – birth of Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington, Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901 and Governor of Bombay from 1903 to 1907. Lamington is credited with commissioning the creation of one of Australia’s most iconic desserts, the lamington. Numerous stories abound regarding the origin of the lamington, but generally Lamington’s chef (French-born Armand Gallad) is believed to have created it when he was ordered to prepare a morning tea for Federation celebrations being held by Lady Lamington. Rumour has it that Gallad cut up some left-over sponge cake, dipped it in chocolate and covered it in coconut. It should be noted that coconut was not a well-known or popular ingredient at that time, but Gallad was aware of it as his wife was from Tahiti, where coconut was a staple ingredient.
29 July 1890 – death of Vincent Van Gogh, dutch painter.
29 July 1907 – the Boy Scouts formed in England by Sir Robert Baden-Powell.
29 July 1948 – the XIV Olympiad is opened in London by King George VI. This is the first Olympiad since the XI Olympiad in Berlin in 1936. The XII and XIII Olympiads for 1940 and 1944 respectively, were not held because of World War II.
29 July 1949 – first broadcast by BBC radio.
29 July 1981 – Prince Charles and Lady Dianna Spencer wed in London.
29 July 1989 – Burmese authorities imprison Aung Sun Suu Kyi even though her political party won 59% of votes in the election. She rose to prominence following her role in the ‘8888’ Uprising on 8 August 1988.