Ecclecticism ecclectic

DEFINITION

A theory that a painter should select the best from schools and teachers and then choose and combine into one's own artwork. Traditionally Ecclecticism has been said to have been promoted by the Carraci family in the late 16th Century at the Academy of Bologna, Italy. However, some scholars have challenged that attribution as the origin. Ecclectic is a term used to describe the process whereby an artist borrows features and ideas from a variety of respected sources and combines them in his/her art. Source: Kimberley Reynolds and Richard Seddon, "Illustrated Dictionary of Art Terms"; Julia M Ehresmann, "The Pocket Dictionary of Art Terms"