Accrochée

Accrochée is the feminine singular past participle of the French verb accrocher, meaning to hang, hook, or attach. Used as an adjective, it describes something that has been hung or attached to another object. The form agrees with feminine nouns: une œuvre accrochée, la peinture accrochée au mur. The masculine form is accroché, and the plural forms are accrochés (masc.) and accrochées (fem.). In compound tenses with être, the participle agrees with the subject: La sculpture est accrochée au socle. With the auxiliary avoir, the participle agrees only if a preceding direct object exists.

In art and gallery contexts, accrochage refers to the act of hanging and arranging works for display in a space, such as a gallery or museum. An artwork described as accrochée is currently part of the exhibition. The vocabulary is common in curatorial notes and exhibition catalogs: L’accrochage de l’exposition a débuté ce matin; Les œuvres accrochées couvrent plusieurs fois, autant de peintures que de photographies.

Beyond display, accrochée can also appear in general senses of attachment or hanging, for example describing objects that are physically affixed or fastened. The term retains a straightforward, descriptive use and contrasts with accrochage, which names the event or process of mounting and organizing works for viewing.

Etymology traces accrochier to accroch­er, itself tied to the idea of hooking or catching onto something. The word is standard in French for describing both the state of being hung and the act of mounting works in a curated space.