horror vacui

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English[edit]

Works by French Renaissance engraver Jean Duvet such as this one, The Fall of Babylon, exhibit horror vacui.

Etymology[edit]

From Latin horror vacuī (“fear of empty space”), from horror (“horror, fear”) + vacuum (“vacuum”).

Noun[edit]

horror vacui (uncountable)

  1. (historical, sciences) The Aristotelian principle that there are no vacuums in nature.
  2. The abhorrence of a vacuum; the general tendency to dislike empty space.
    • 1991, Kant: Political Writings, →ISBN, page 212:
      It is merely the horror vacui of human reason in general which leads it to recoil when it comes across an idea about which no thought is possible, […]
  3. (art) In particular, the tendency of an artist (or of art) to fill an entire surface with detail, leaving no blank space.
    The “Where's Wally?” series exhibits horror vacui.

Translations[edit]

Translations

Further reading[edit]

Portuguese[edit]

Noun[edit]

horror vacui m (uncountable)

  1. horror vacui (tendency to dislike empty space)
  2. (art) horror vacui (tendency of an artist to fill an entire surface with detail)
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