Home > Terms > Spanish, Latin American (XL) > naif
naif
The word naïve means simple, unaffected, unsophisticated. As an art term it specifically refers to artists who also have had no formal training in an art school or academy. Naïve art is characterised by childlike simplicity of execution and vision. As such it has been valued by modernists seeking to get away from what they see as the insincere sophistication of art created within the traditional system. The most famous naïve artist of modern times is Henri Rousseau, known as Le Douanier (customs man) from the full-time job he held. Others are Bauchant, and in Britain the St Ives seaman Alfred Wallis, whose work famously influenced Ben Nicholson. Naïve artists are sometimes referred to as modern primitives (see Primitivism). The category also overlaps with what is called outsider art, or in France, Art Brut. This includes artists who are on the margins of society, such as criminals and mentally ill people.
- Part of Speech: noun
- Synonym(s):
- Blossary:
- Industry/Domain: Art history
- Category: General art history
- Company: Tate
- Product:
- Acronym-Abbreviation:
Other Languages:
Member comments
Terms in the News
Featured Terms
El jardín de las delicias
Bosch's most famous and unconventional picture, The Garden of Earthly Delights was painted between 1490 and 1510. The oil painting is on three panels, ...
Contributor
Featured blossaries
farooq92
0
Terms
47
Blossaries
3
Followers
Top Pakistani singers in Bollywood
Browers Terms By Category
- Wireless networking(199)
- Modems(93)
- Firewall & VPN(91)
- Networking storage(39)
- Routers(3)
- Network switches(2)
Network hardware(428) Terms
- Body language(129)
- Corporate communications(66)
- Oral communication(29)
- Technical writing(13)
- Postal communication(8)
- Written communication(6)
Communication(251) Terms
- News(147)
- Radio & TV broadcasting equipment(126)
- TV equipment(9)
- Set top box(6)
- Radios & accessories(5)
- TV antenna(1)
Broadcasting & receiving(296) Terms
- Automobile(10466)
- Motorcycles(899)
- Automotive paint(373)
- Tires(268)
- Vehicle equipment(180)
- Auto parts(166)
Automotive(12576) Terms
- Cooking(3691)
- Fish, poultry, & meat(288)
- Spices(36)