The artistic style of the grotesque originated in ancient Rome and continues to this day. It depicts the blurring and mixing of contradictory forces. In the grotesque, genres such as tragedy and comedy are combined to create a new and unique concoction.
Through this mixing the grotesque allows for complicated and nuanced representations of life. Although the grotesque began as a visual art, it has long been associated with literature and theatre. Playwrights have used the grotesque to blur the lines between literary conventions like character and genre, as well as using it to depict contemporary life. Often popular in turbulent times, the contradictions inherent in the grotesque allow playwrights to depict the complex and intricate nature of their contemporary life, creating …show more content…
The grotesque is relevant to and popular in our contemporary society. Noted scholar Wolfgang Kayser in his 1963 book The Grotesque in Art and Literature described the current relevance of the grotesque writing, “The art of our day shows a greater affinity to the grotesque than that of any other epoch”(11). Modern novels and paintings are strongly influenced by the
Through this mixing the grotesque allows for complicated and nuanced representations of life. Although the grotesque began as a visual art, it has long been associated with literature and theatre. Playwrights have used the grotesque to blur the lines between literary conventions like character and genre, as well as using it to depict contemporary life. Often popular in turbulent times, the contradictions inherent in the grotesque allow playwrights to depict the complex and intricate nature of their contemporary life, creating …show more content…
The grotesque is relevant to and popular in our contemporary society. Noted scholar Wolfgang Kayser in his 1963 book The Grotesque in Art and Literature described the current relevance of the grotesque writing, “The art of our day shows a greater affinity to the grotesque than that of any other epoch”(11). Modern novels and paintings are strongly influenced by the