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  3. Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting

décalé

English translation: out of scale

13:40 Jul 6, 2018
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting
French term or phrase: décalé
From an academic article about Giotto, specifically the fresco "The Meeting at the Golden Gate", which can be viewed here: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archivo:Giotto_-_Scrovegni_-_-...

Describing the composition of the fresco, the writer says:

"Le rapport des figures au cadre architectural est décalé, tout en étant subtilement calculé."

My working version is as follows:

"The relationship between the figures and their architectural framework is off-kilter, though subtly calculated".
(The figures in question are Anne and Joachim, who embrace in the foreground of the fresco.)
Off-kilter/skewed?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.
Martin Fyles
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:51
English translation:out of scale
Explanation:
My first thought was "skewed", but if you look at the picture, this is not an appropriate description of the figures. However, they are out of scale: this is one of Jerusalem's main gates, but it looks about ten feet high. This is a common feature of medieval art.

I believe "décalé" is being used in the sense of "odd" or "disproportionate".
http://www.wordreference.com/fren/décalé
Selected response from:

philgoddard
United States
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5out of scale
philgoddard


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
out of scale


Explanation:
My first thought was "skewed", but if you look at the picture, this is not an appropriate description of the figures. However, they are out of scale: this is one of Jerusalem's main gates, but it looks about ten feet high. This is a common feature of medieval art.

I believe "décalé" is being used in the sense of "odd" or "disproportionate".
http://www.wordreference.com/fren/décalé

philgoddard
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 61

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: Exactly! 'out of proportion' would possibly also work.
11 mins
  -> It would indeed. Thanks.
agree  Verginia Ophof
16 mins
neutral  Francois Boye: what is 'décalé' are not the figures, but the RAPPORT (ratio) of the figures to the church's framework
2 hrs
agree  Ben Gaia
4 hrs
agree  B D Finch: Though I prefer "out of proportion".
21 hrs
agree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne: I agree with François that this is about the ratio between the figures and the arch. However, it can be expressed naturally by saying that A and B are not to the same scale.
1 day 7 hrs
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