plateresque

[plat-uh-resk]

adjective

(sometimes initial capital letter)

1. noting or pertaining to a 16th-century style of Spanish architecture characterized by profuse applications of delicate low-relief Renaissance ornament to isolated parts of building exteriors.

Word History and Origins

Origin of plateresque¹

1835–45; < Spanish plateresco, equivalent to plater ( o ) silversmith ( plat ( a ) silver; platina + -ero < Latin -ārius -ary ) + -esco -esque; so called because the heavy ornamentation of the style suggested decorated silverwork

Example Sentences

The intricate stonework is a great example of Spain’s Plateresque style, represented by delicate, detail-packed, filigree-like carvings.

From Seattle Times

But even this greatest Christian spot in Granada, with its lacy filigree style known as Plateresque for the influence of Moorish silverwork, shines with the artistic legacy of the Moors.

From Washington Post

This short period is called Plateresque, from platero, silversmith, for its elaborate surface decoration of scrolls, medallions, and heraldic ornament is sublimated smith's work.

From Project Gutenberg

As it and Salamanca were the two places where the silversmith's art flourished, so they are the two centers for the best Plateresque buildings.

From Project Gutenberg

Romanesque, Gothic, and Plateresque are each well represented in Le�n City.

From Project Gutenberg