CultureAugust 1, 2026

tableaux

TAB-lohz

Definition

Visual scenes or displays often consisting of grouped figures, posed to represent a specific moment, story, or idea.

Etymology

Derived from the French word 'tableau,' meaning a picture or a board, which itself comes from the Latin 'tabula' for a plank, tablet, or table.

In the news

The article uses the term to describe short, staged scenes in a film that portray women as victims, suggesting they are presented like static, dramatic portraits rather than fully developed characters.

Emily Wilson · An Uncomplicated Man

Read the full article ↗

London Review of Books

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