Wordsmith.org: the magic of words


A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact  


Home

Today's Word

Yesterday's Word

Archives

FAQ


Mar 8, 2005
This week's theme
Toponyms

This week's words
gamboge
vernissage
Finlandization
Fleet Street
hackney
Discuss
Feedback
RSS/XML
Bookmark and Share Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Bookmark and Share

A.Word.A.Day--vernissage

Pronunciation RealAudio

vernissage (ver-nuh-SAZH) noun

A private showing or preview of an art exhibition before the public opening; also the reception celebrating the opening of an art exhibition.

[From French vernissage (varnishing), from vernis (varnish), ultimately from Berenik, the name of an ancient city in Cyrenaica in northern Africa where natural resins were first used as varnish.]

Traditionally, the day before the official opening of an art exhibition was reserved for the artist to varnish or put finishing touches to their paintings.

"On the night of the Vernissage, which must surely provide perfect art-buying conditions - lashings of bubbles and money in the same rooms - the red stickers are going up."
Michele Hewitson; Kiwi Hard-sell in Aussie Art-land; The New Zealand Herald (Auckland); Oct 10, 2004.

"Marsden, the artist, has become the art, as she swims under the water in a gold vernissage of late summer light."
For Marsden Swimming at the Quarry: Christian Science Monitor (Boston); Jul 2, 1991.

This week's theme: toponyms.

X-Bonus

A man does not look behind the door unless he has stood there himself. -William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, educator and writer (1868-1963)

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith