contrapposto

[ kohn-truh-pos-toh ]

noun

, Fine Arts.

, plural con·trap·pos·tos.

1. a representation of the human body in which the forms are organized on a varying or curving axis to provide an asymmetrical balance to the figure.

contrapposto

/ ˌkɒntrəˈpɒstəʊ /

noun

1. (in the visual arts) a curving or asymmetrical arrangement of the human figure with the shoulders, hips, and legs in different planes

Word History and Origins

Origin of contrapposto¹

1900–05; < Italian < Latin contrāpositus, past participle of contrāpōnere to place against. See contra ¹, posit

Word History and Origins

Origin of contrapposto¹

C20: from Italian, from the past participle of contrapporre, from Latin contra contra- + pōnere to place

Example Sentences

In December, Casey and his husband and business partner, Nick Axelrod-Welk, who co-founded the website Into the Gloss and the brand Nécessaire, opened Contrapposto, a cosmetic dermatology clinic in West Hollywood.

From New York Times

All the great bottoms of art history are in contrapposto — the Farnese Hercules, hip thrust out like a soccer goalie’s; Michelangelo’s David, who cradles his slingstone beside his perked right cheek.

From New York Times

Third fundamental term: contrapposto, noun, Italian, a pose in which the body’s weight rests on one foot, resulting in a dynamic composition that puts the hips and shoulders at odds.

From New York Times

“I teach them to trust their body more, to allow their hips to go one way and their upper body to go the other way, with contrapposto,” a term from visual art that describes the distribution of weight across the body, and resulting curves.

From New York Times

Evenly spaced branches reached out from a trunk twisted into gentle contrapposto, its clusters of spring green foliage suggesting the outline of an isosceles triangle.

From New York Times