What does cubistically mean?
"Cubistically" is an adverb describing something done in the manner of Cubism, the revolutionary art movement pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in Paris during the early twentieth century. When an object is depicted cubistically, it is broken down into geometric planes and fragments, often showing multiple viewpoints at once rather than the single fixed perspective of traditional Western art. The word appears almost exclusively in art criticism, museum writing, and discussions of modernist aesthetics — one might say a still life was painted cubistically, or that a designer composed an image cubistically. It derives from "Cubism," itself rooted in "cube," reflecting the movement's signature use of cubes, cones, and other angular forms. Though rare in everyday speech, it offers a precise way to describe works that abandon naturalistic representation in favor of fractured, multifaceted structure.
adverbIn a manner characteristic of Cubism, the early 20th-century avant-garde art movement that fragmented subjects into geometric forms; in terms of Cubist style or technique.
- In the manner or style of Cubism, especially describing the treatment of form, perspective, or composition in art.
"The portrait's face is rendered cubistically, with both eyes shown simultaneously in profile and full view."
"Braque broke the guitar's body into interlocking planes, depicting it cubistically."
"The architect described the façade as thinking cubistically about space rather than following classical symmetry."
When Picasso started painting faces from every angle at once, critics called it madness — 'cubistically' is the adverb for that beautiful chaos.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cubistically
"Cubistically" derives from "Cubism," the name coined around 1908–1911 for the art movement associated with Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, reportedly after critic Louis Vauxcelles remarked on Braque's reduction of landscapes to geometric cubes. "Cubism" traces back through French "cubisme" to "cube," from Latin "cubus," borrowed from Greek "kybos." The adverb was formed by adding the suffixes "-ic" and "-ally" to create "cubistic" and then "cubistically," following the standard English pattern for forming adverbs of style from art-movement names.
Related word forms
How cubistically is actually used
A specialized term used almost exclusively in art history, criticism, and discussion of visual culture. It carries no negative connotation but signals familiarity with modernist art discourse.
Easily confused with cubistically
'Cubical' describes something shaped like a cube (three-dimensional geometry), while 'cubistically' refers to the style of the Cubist art movement.