Pastiche

Pastiche is a work of art that imitates the style of one or more other artists, eras, or genres. It is often composed as a collage of recognizable elements, motifs, and forms drawn from existing works. Unlike parody, which uses imitation to laugh at or criticize its source, pastiche generally aims to honor, celebrate, or acknowledge the influence of its models, though it can also explore ideas through synthesis.

Etymology and history: The term comes from the French pastiche, derived from Italian pasticcio meaning "mixture" or "paste." In literary and visual arts, pastiche has long been used as a technique—from writers emulating classical forms to postmodern artists that blend styles from different periods.

Techniques and characteristics: Pastiche relies on recognizable stylistic cues such as voice, syntax, pacing, form, and allusion. It may combine multiple styles within a single work, creating a new artifact that signals intertextual dialogue rather than original invention. The intention can be celebratory, scholarly, or experimental; the result is often playful or exploratory.

Contexts and examples: In literature, writers imitate Victorian or classical prose, or fuse genres such as science fiction and detective fiction. In cinema and music, directors and composers adopt pastiche to evoke earlier eras or styles, as seen in genre pastiches and homage pieces. In the visual arts, artists reproduce or blend past styles to comment on art history. The term reflects a flexible, pluralistic approach to style, and while it overlaps with homage and appropriation, pastiche emphasizes imitation and synthesis rather than direct critique.