Horror
vacui art is an art form that expands on Aristotle's theory of horror
vacui (that
nature abhors a vacuum, and therefore empty space will always try to
fill itself with a gas or liquid to avoid being empty) and includes
visual interpretations in artwork.
Horror vacui artwork involves the
artist leaving no piece of the canvas uncovered. There is a
fear of empty space in the works of any horror vacui art, and so
artists will cover every inch of their canvas in detail to avoid
leaving any remnants of blank space.
Horror vacui art had been practiced by ancient Greek and Islamic
artists, and was even evident among the many indigenous tribes of
Central and South America. However, with regards to the term horror
vacui,
this is credited to 20th century author, scholar, and critic Mario
Praz. Mario used the term to help describe the suffocating atmosphere
created by Victorian Age interior design.
