fin de siècle

American  

[fan duh sye-kl^uh] / fɛ̃ də ˈsyɛ klə /

noun

1. the end of the 19th century.

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adjective

1. Sometimes fin-de-siècle of, relating to, or characterized by concepts of art, society, etc., associated with the end of the 19th century.

fin de siècle British  

/ fɛ̃ də sjɛklə /

noun

1. the end of the 19th century, when traditional social, moral, and artistic values were in transition

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adjective

1. of or relating to the close of the 19th century

2. decadent, esp in artistic tastes

fin de siècle Cultural  

1. The end of the nineteenth century; the phrase is French for “end of the century.” Fin de siècle is particularly used to describe the period's self-conscious artistic movements and a sophisticated despair that became popular at the time. Oscar Wilde is one of the best-known fin-de-siècle figures.

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Etymology

Origin of fin de siècle

First recorded in 1885–95; from French: “end of century”; fine ¹ ( def. ), de ( def. ), secular ( def. )

Example Sentences

The catalog begins with fin de siècle Europe, when the emergence of mass publishing began to lead to a firmer distinction between subordinate illustrators and visionary fine artists.

From The Wall Street Journal

Seen at auction only twice in modern records, the directory is a rare piece of early Californiana — as much a record of the city’s earliest telecommunications as a social snapshot of fin de siècle Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

Based on Larson’s research, he writes his nonfiction like a novel, chockablock full of weird and wondrous details of Chicago at the fin de siècle.

From Los Angeles Times

This was the starting point of the thoughtful collection, which featured romantic silhouettes fusing the fin de siècle French and English Edwardian styles — through riding coats, sack suits and riding boots — with urban styles such as cargo elements and archival pieces from Woo’s early 2000s collections.

From Seattle Times

Nigro would often take him to Manhattan’s Central Park, where they’d rent a boat for an hour or two and then paddle up, down, and around the placid lake, through the lily pads, looking like fin de siècle oarsmen in an Impressionist painting.

From Literature