grotesque

In literature, a character or location that is irregular, extravagant or fantastic in form. When used as a device, the purpose is often in the style of expressionism, making the grotesque a parody of human qualities or a distorted reflection of a familiar place.

In literature, when grotesque characters can sometimes more worthy than conventional ones, the intention is usually to point out that we judge by appearances, instead of looking for the personality beneath. This is a common device of fairytales, as in ‘Beauty and the Beast’.

grotesque

In art, a style in which a profusion of human figures, imaginary monsters, animals, flowers, and fruit are mingled in a fanciful and eccentric way. It is found particularly in mural and sculptural decoration.

Such decorations were found during excavations of Roman houses at the beginning of the 16th century, notably at the Domus Aurea (Golden House) of Emperor Nero, and the Baths of Emperor Titus. Discovered in underground chambers (grottoes) they became known as grotteschi.

The designs inspired Italian Renaissance artists; Raphael and his followers quickly established grotesque motifs as a facet of their style, particularly in their frescoes. The medallions and panels of the loggia of the Vatican feature grotesque designs by Raphael, carried out by Giulio Romano and Giovanni da Udine. Early examples of grotesque ornament in architecture occur in Pinturicchio's cathedral library ceilings at Siena (1502), and Perugino's ceiling of the Cambio in Perugia (about 1500).

Later the term was applied to artistic representations of people and animals with distorted or exaggerated features or proportions, which could be either humorous or horrifying.

In the 18th century the excavation of Diocletian's Palace at Spalato, Italy, led the architects Piranesi and the Adam brothers to revive grotesque ornament in their neoclassical designs. The English designer Alfred Stevens popularized the style again in the 19th century.