180 « Back to Glossary Index

A literary description of a visual artwork — a painting, sculpture, or architectural work — that seeks to bring the image to life in words. The term comes from the Greek ek (out) and phrasein (to speak). John Keats’s Ode on a Grecian Urn is perhaps the most celebrated example. Ekphrasis raises philosophical questions about the relationship between different art forms and the nature of beauty.

« Back to Glossary Directory