objet trouvé

noun

ob·​jet trou·​vé ˈȯb-ˌzhā-trü-ˈvā 

plural objets trouvés ˈȯb-ˌzhā-trü-ˈvā 

: a natural or discarded object found by chance and held to have aesthetic value

Did you know?

Objet trouvé comes from French, where it literally means "found object." The term entered English during the early 20th century, a time when many artists challenged traditional ideas about the nature of true art. Surrealists and other artists, for instance, held that any object could be a work of art if a person recognized its aesthetic merit. "Objet trouvé" can refer to naturally formed objects whose beauty is the result of natural forces as well as to man-made artifacts (such as bathtubs, wrecked cars, or scrap metal) that were not originally created as art but are displayed as such.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, literally, "found object"

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!