Culture & the Arts
Culture & the Arts
Talking about creative work is one of the most natural places to reach for the true French passive with par — unlike political register, art criticism regularly names the creator explicitly, just as English art writing does with 'by'.
Grammar Comparison
Grammar Comparison
Naming the creator: the passive with par
Ce tableau a été peint par un artiste inconnu. (This painting was painted by an unknown artist)
This painting was painted by an unknown artist.
Describing art, film, and literature is one of the most natural places to use the passive with par (see Lesson 29a) — unlike political register, which prefers on to keep the actor vague, art criticism regularly names the creator explicitly with par + agent, exactly matching how English art writing names the creator with 'by' ('painted by an unknown artist').
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| une œuvre | oon UHV-ruh | a work (of art) |
| un tableau | an tah-BLOH | a painting |
| un roman | an roh-MAHN | a novel |
| un réalisateur / une réalisatrice | an ray-ah-lee-zah-TUHR / oon ray-ah-lee-zah-TREES | a (film) director |
| un spectacle | an spek-TAHKL | a show / performance |
| une exposition | oon ex-poh-zee-SYOHN | an exhibition |
| la peinture | lah pan-TOOR | painting (the art form) |
| la sculpture | lah skoolp-TOOR | sculpture |
| un chef-d'œuvre | an shef-DUHV-ruh | a masterpiece |
| le patrimoine | luh pah-tree-MWAHN | heritage |
| un festival | an fes-tee-VAHL | a festival |
| la critique | lah kree-TEEK | the review / critique |