Manifesto Das Sete Artes Ricciotto Canudo.pdf Jun 2026

At the time of writing, cinema was in its infancy. It was often regarded as a fairground attraction or a derivative of theater, lacking the prestige of painting or music. Canudo, an Italian-French intellectual and founder of the avant-garde magazine Montjoie! , sought to elevate the medium.

Many professors from the University of São Paulo have uploaded the "Manifesto Das Sete Artes" as a teaching resource. A free account usually grants you access to the full PDF. Manifesto Das Sete Artes Ricciotto Canudo.pdf

He explored how film uses the "velocity of motion" (the symbolic) to help viewers absorb a story that reflects humanity's "real" aspirations. Legacy and Modern Impact At the time of writing, cinema was in its infancy

established film as a "total art" by synthesizing plastic arts (architecture, sculpture, painting) and rhythmic arts (music, poetry, dance). Canudo coined the term "The Seventh Art" to describe cinema, cementing its role as a "plastic art in motion" that captures the maximum mobility of life. For further reading, see this analysis of the manifesto from What were the seven arts of Ricciotto Canudo? , sought to elevate the medium

Canudo fiercely argued that cinema is not a reproduction of reality. He called it a "transfiguration." The camera does not copy nature; it interprets it via light, shadow, and montage.