cinquecentist

Cin·que·cent·ist
C3I1N1Q10U1E1C3E1N1T1I1S1T1
UK/tʃiŋkwɛˈtʃɛntɪst/US/t͡ʃiŋkwəˈt͡ʃɛntɪst/US/-ɾɪst/

adjective

Of or pertaining to the art of Italy in the sixteenth century.

Scrabble 26

Meanings

cinquecentist1

adjectivecinquecentist (not comparable)
  1. not comparableAlternative letter-case form of Cinquecentist.
nouncinquecentist (plural cinquecentists)

plural cinquecentists

  1. Alternative letter-case form of Cinquecentist.

Cinquecentist2

adjectiveCinquecentist (not comparable)

alternative cinquecentist

  1. not comparableOf or pertaining to the art of Italy in the sixteenth century.

    Suffice it to say as a last word that the ancient Romans, the cinquecentist Italians, and the modern Europeans, obviously form in architectural history one continuous dynasty.

    1891, James Fergusson, Robert Kerr, “Secular Architecture”, in History of the Modern Styles of Architecture: … In Two Volumes, 3rd rev. edition, volume I, London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, →OCLC, book I (Italy), page 36
    2 more examples

    Its [Dresden's] stately and cinquecentist mansions bring back interesting recollections; its treasures of art make us proud of humanity; and the rich and picturesque scenery of its environs add surprise to our delights.

    1828, A[ugustus] B[ozzi] Granville, “Saxony, Prussia, Federated States, and France”, in St. Petersburgh. A Journal of Travels to and from that Capital; through Flanders, the Rhenish Provinces, Prussia, Russia, Poland, Silesia, Saxony, the Federated States of Germany, and France. … In Two Volumes, volume II, London: Henry Colburn, New Burlington Street, →OCLC, page 654

    Whenever we pass from the Cinquecentist room in a gallery to the baroque, the surprise we feel is that clear, obvious juxtaposition ceases and that colours seem to rest on a common ground in which they sometimes sink into almost complete monochrome, in which, however, if they stand out clearly, they remain mysteriously moored.

    2009, Heinrich Wölfflin, “Principles of Art History”, in Donald Preziosi, editor, The Art of Art History: A Critical Anthology (Oxford History of Art), 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 127
nounCinquecentist (plural Cinquecentists)

plural Cinquecentists · alternative cinquecentist

  1. An Italian of the sixteenth century, especially a poet or an artist.
    1 more example

    As a matter of good sense alone, it must sooner or later become clear to the mind of anyone that the Cinque-centists, on their own Italian ground teeming with relics of the past, and in the exhilarating intellectual air of their great philosophical revolution, enjoyed a truly grand architectural opportunity.

    1891, James Fergusson, Robert Kerr, “Secular Architecture”, in History of the Modern Styles of Architecture: … In Two Volumes, 3rd rev. edition, volume I, London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, →OCLC, book I (Italy), page 169
  2. A student or imitator of the art or literature of that period.
  3. The style of art or architecture of that period.
    1 more example

    The style at large, called the Cinquecentist (that is, of the fifth—for fifteenth—century), or the Italian (because of its birthplace), or the modern or revived Classic (being the academical antique), is primarily based upon the columnar system of the Greeks, received by them historically from the East, and transmitted historically Westward (on the tide of empire) to Rome.

    1864, Robert Kerr, “Palladian Style”, in The Gentleman's House; or, How to Plan English Residences, from the Parsonage to the Palace; with Tables of Accommodation and Cost, and a Series of Selected Plans, London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, →OCLC, part IV (Notes on Architectural Style), page 364

Origin

  1. Italiancinquecentista“Cinquecentist”
  2. EnglishCinquecentist

From Italian cinquecentista (“Cinquecentist”), from cinquecento (“sixteenth century”) + -ista (“-ist, suffix indicating a person with a particular creative or academic role”); compare French cinquecentiste.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French cinquecentiste
  • cinquecentisteItalian of the sixteenth century
Italian cinquecentista
  • cinquecentistaItalian of the sixteenth century
Cite this entry
APA

cinquecentist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cinquecentist

MLA

“cinquecentist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cinquecentist. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cinquecentist,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cinquecentist.

Source: cinquecentist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.