AP French Language · Unit 3
L'esthétique: every key term you need (+ practice quiz)
36 flashcard terms for AP French Language Unit 3, written to match the course framework. Study them here, then drill them as interactive flashcards, or test yourself with the 19-question quiz — free, no account needed.
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L'esthétique AP theme on beauty and art: architecture, visual arts, music, literature, performing arts, and definitions of beauty across the francophone world.
L'impressionnisme 1870s movement (Monet, Renoir, Morisot, Pissarro) painting light and fleeting moments outdoors; named after Monet's Impression, soleil levant.
Le musée d'Orsay Former train station in Paris housing art from 1848 to 1914, including the world's largest impressionist collection.
Le Louvre Former royal palace, museum since 1793; its glass pyramid by I. M. Pei (1989) is an example of blending old and modern aesthetics.
La Joconde Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, brought to France by François Ier; the Louvre's most visited work.
Le cubisme Movement founded around 1907 by Picasso and Braque in Paris, breaking objects into geometric planes.
Le surréalisme Movement launched by André Breton's 1924 Manifeste, exploring dreams and the unconscious (Magritte, Dalí, Éluard).
L'art nouveau Style around 1900 with organic curves; Hector Guimard's Paris métro entrances are iconic examples.
L'architecture haussmannienne Uniform stone buildings with wrought-iron balconies built when Baron Haussmann remodeled Paris (1853-1870).
Le Corbusier Swiss-French modernist architect (Villa Savoye, Cité radieuse) who defined a house as 'une machine à habiter'.
La haute couture Made-to-measure fashion regulated by the Fédération de la Haute Couture; Paris Fashion Week anchors the global calendar.
Coco Chanel Designer who freed women from corsets, popularized the little black dress and the tailleur; symbol of French elegance.
La gastronomie française Inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2010 as 'le repas gastronomique des Français'.
Le Guide Michelin Restaurant guide begun in 1900 as a tire company booklet; its stars define culinary excellence.
La chanson française Tradition of text-driven songs: Édith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens, Charles Aznavour, later Stromae and Angèle.
Le rap français Second-largest rap market in the world; artists like MC Solaar, IAM, Aya Nakamura mix verlan, arabe and wolof.
La Fête de la musique Free music festival every June 21 launched by Jack Lang in 1982, now held in over 120 countries.
Le Festival de Cannes Film festival since 1946 awarding the Palme d'or; a showcase for auteur cinema.
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La Nouvelle Vague Late-1950s film movement (Truffaut, Godard, Varda) with handheld cameras and personal storytelling: Les 400 coups, À bout de souffle.
L'exception culturelle French policy that culture is not ordinary merchandise: quotas for French songs on radio and subsidies for cinema.
La bande dessinée Comics as 'le neuvième art'; Astérix, Tintin, Persepolis; the Festival d'Angoulême is held each January.
Le Festival d'Avignon Theater festival founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar in the Palais des Papes; the Off fringe hosts over 1,000 shows.
La Comédie-Française National theater founded in 1680, home of Molière's repertoire; its actors are called les sociétaires.
Le classicisme 17th-century aesthetic of order and rules (les trois unités in theater); Racine, Corneille, Molière.
Le romantisme Early 19th-century movement valuing emotion and nature; Victor Hugo, Delacroix's La Liberté guidant le peuple (1830).
Le Petit Prince Saint-Exupéry's 1943 tale, among the most translated books ever; 'On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur'.
Le Prix Goncourt Most prestigious French literary prize, awarded each November since 1903; symbolic 10-euro check but huge sales.
Le wax Colorful printed fabric popular in West Africa (Sénégal, Côte d'Ivoire); worn as boubou or tailored, a marker of African aesthetics.
La musique du Sénégal Mbalax popularized by Youssou N'Dour blends sabar drumming with modern instruments.
Le raï Algerian popular music (Cheb Khaled, Cheb Mami) mixing traditional and electronic sounds; a voice of youth in the Maghreb.
Le zouk Dance music from Guadeloupe and Martinique created by Kassav' in the 1980s.
Le Cirque du Soleil Québec company founded in 1984 that reinvented circus without animals, blending acrobatics, music and costume design.
Le street art Urban art: Invader's mosaics, JR's giant photos; the 13e arrondissement in Paris is an open-air gallery.
Les canons de beauté Standards of beauty that vary by culture and era; the AP exam may ask you to compare body image ideals across francophone societies.
Le Centre Pompidou 1977 building with exposed pipes and escalators (Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers) housing modern art; an aesthetic provocation.
Le vocabulaire de l'art Une toile, un tableau, une œuvre, un chef-d'œuvre, une exposition, un vernissage, un artiste peintre, un sculpteur.
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