Depingere

Depingere is a Latin verb of the third conjugation meaning to depict, portray, or paint. It covers both literal painting—creating a visual representation of a scene or subject—and more figurative depiction in speech, writing, or description. In classical and late Latin, depingere is used for artists’ work as well as for describing scenes in poetry and prose.

Etymology and forms: the word combines the prefix de- with pingere (to paint, to color). In Latin dictionaries it is typically presented with principal parts as depingo (I depict), depingere (to depict), depi­nxi (I depicted), depictum (depicted) or sometimes depinx, depictum approaches in late sources. As a third‑conjugation verb, depingere follows the standard patterns for tense and mood across indicative, subjunctive, and imperative.

Usage and nuance: depingere often appears in descriptions of visual art, monuments, or imagined scenes. It also serves in rhetorical and narrative contexts to “depict” characters, events, or states of affairs, sometimes with a sense of careful construction or arrangement, akin to how modern languages distinguish depiction from mere description. The verb can be used both with concrete objects (a painting, a fresco) and with abstract subjects (a memory, a scene in a novel).

Legacy and English derivatives: depingere is the source of English depict and depiction, as well as related terms in art and rhetoric. The concept of depictions—whether of persons, places, or events—continues to be central in discussions of literature, art history, and visual culture. See also pingere, effingere, and related Latin verbs used to describe making representations.