2008-11-03

Spezzatura (n.)

Meaning; short: rehearsed spontaneity, studied nonchalance

Meaning; exhaustive: a term that originates from Castiglione's The Book of the Courtier. It is defined as “a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it.”
That is to say, it is the ability of the courtier to display “an easy facility in accomplishing difficult actions which hides the conscious effort that went into them.”
Sprezzatura has also been described “as a form of defensive irony: the ability to disguise what one really desires, feels, thinks, and means or intends behind a mask of apparent reticence and nonchalance.

Example: the photo to the above, right and almost all of fashion. And people breaking up by text or email. And apples.

Best usage in explosively fast online search: Ed Rants


2 comments:

Gerald So said...

I've heard sprezzatura defined as the casual display of genius.

Anonymous said...

bonsoir
j'aimerai connaitre le nom de la femme sur la photo titre "a certain nonchalance"...alan (france)