Cubism Movement in the visual arts created by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in Paris between 1907 and 1914. They were later joined by Juan Gris, Fernand Leger, Robert Delaunay, and others. The name derives from a review that described Braque’s work as images composed of cubes. Picasso’s Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) signaled the new style, which was inspired by African sculpture and the later paintings of Paul Cezanne. Cub¬ ist work emphasized the flat, two-dimensional, fragmented surface of the picture plane, rejecting perspective, foreshortening, modeling, and chiar¬ oscuro in favour of geometric forms. The work made in this style from 1910 to 1912 is often referred to as Analytical Cubism. Paintings executed during this period show the breaking down, or analysis, of form. Artists favoured right-angle and straight-line construction and colour schemes that were nearly monochromatic. After 1912 the phase known as Synthetic Cubism began. Works from this phase emphasize the combination, or syn¬ thesis, of forms in the picture. Colour assumes a strong role in the work; shapes, while remaining fragmented and flat, are larger and more decora-
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
492 I cuckoo ► cultivation
tive; and collage is often used. Many subsequent 20th-century avant-garde movements were influenced by the experimentation of the Cubists.
cuckoo Any of some 138 species of tree-dwelling and terrestrial birds of the family Cuculidae. They are found worldwide in temperate and tropical regions but are most diverse in the Old World tropics. New World species are sometimes classified as a separate family (Coccyzidae) and include the roadrunner. Cuckoos range from 6.5 to 36 in. (16 to 90 cm) long. Most are drab gray, but a few are partially or completely brightly coloured or iridescent. Aside from the European cuckoo’s familiar two- note call, cuckoos are best known for their habit of brood parasitism (see cowbird); their eggs resemble those of the host species (egg mimicry), and the adult cuckoo removes one or more host eggs to ensure that the substitution is not detected. The newly hatched cuckoo may also eject eggs or nestlings.
cucumber Creeping plant ( Cucu- mis sativus), of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), or its oblong fruit, for which it is widely cultivated. It probably originated in northern India. The plant is a tender annual with a rough, succulent, trailing stem and hairy leaves with pointed lobes; the stem bears branched tendrils by which the plant can suspend itself. The food value of the fruit is low, but its delicate flavour makes it a popular vegetable for salads and relishes.
cucumber beetle Any of several leaf beetles (genus Diabrotica) that are important pests. They are greenish yellow, marked with black spots or stripes, and 0.1-0.5 in. (2.5-11 mm) long. The striped cucumber beetle and spotted cucumber beetle both feed on garden plants, and their larvae feed on the roots.
Cudworth, Ralph (b. 1617, Aler, Somerset, Eng.—d. June 26, 1688, Cambridge) English theologian and philosopher. Reared as a Puritan, he eventually adopted Nonconformist views such as the notion that church government and religious practice should be individual rather than authoritarian. He became a leader of the Cambridge Platonists. In ethics, his outstanding work is A Treatise Concerning Eternal and Immutable Morality (1731), which was directed against Puritan Calvinism, the the¬ ology of Rene Descartes, and the attempt by Thomas Hobbes to reduce morality to obedience to civil authority. He stressed the natural good or evil inherent in an event or act, in contrast to the Calvinist-Cartesian notion of divine law. “Things are what they are,” he wrote, “not by Will but by Nature.” See also intuitionism; voluntarism.
Cuellar, Javier Perez de See Javier Perez de Cuellar
Cuernavaca \,kwer-n3-'va-k3\ City (pop., 2000: 327,162), capital of Morelos state, south-central Mexico. As the capital city of the Tlahuica Indians, it was known as Cuauhnahuac. The name was changed (c. 1521) when it was taken by Hernan Cortes; his palace, now the Morelos State House (decorated with murals by painter Diego Rivera), is located there. Nearby are pre-Columbian ruins. A favourite retreat of the emperor Max¬ imilian, the area is still popular with tourists. The University of Morelos was established there in 1953.
Cuiaba \ 1 kii-y3-'ba\ River or Cuyaba River River, Brazil. Rising in central Mato Grosso state, it flows 300 mi (480 km) southwest to join the Sao Lourengo River. These two rivers’ combined courses enter the Para¬ guay River north of Corumba. Gold deposits are found in the Cuiaba’s headwaters.
Cukierman, Yizhak See Itzhak Zuckerman
Cukor Vkyu-korN, George (Dewey) (b. July 7, 1899, New York, N.Y., U.S.—d. Jan. 24, 1983, Los Angeles, Calif.) U.S. film director. He directed plays on Broadway before going to Hollywood in 1929. His first film. Tarnished Lady (1931), was followed by the acclaimed Little Women
(1933), David Copperfield (1935), The Philadelphia Story (1940), and Gaslight (1944). He directed several comedies starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, including Adam’s Rib (1949) and Pat and Mike (1952). He was noted for his skill in working with actors, particularly women. Among his other memorable films are Dinner at Eight (1933), The Women (1939), A Star Is Born (1954), and My Fair Lady (1964, Academy Award).
Culiacan X.kul-ys-'kanV City (pop., 2000: 540,823), capital of Sinaloa state, western Mexico. Located on the Culiacan River, it was founded on the site of an Indian settlement in 1531 and played an important role in early colonial days as a base for Spanish expeditions. An elaborate irri¬ gation system in the valley provides for a variety of crops, including com, sugarcane, tobacco, and fruits and vegetables. It is the seat of the Uni¬ versity of Sinaloa (1873).
Cullen, Countee orig. Countee Porter (b. May 30, 1903, Louis¬ ville, Ky.?, U.S.—d. Jan. 9, 1946, New York, N.Y.) U.S. poet of the Har¬ lem Renaissance. Reared in New York City, he was unofficially adopted at age 15 by a minister. He won a city wide poetry contest and later attended New York and Harvard universities, winning academic honours. His first collection of poems, Color (1925), received critical acclaim while he was still in college. Copper Sun (1927) was criticized in the black community for not giving enough attention to the issue of race. He taught in the city’s public schools from 1934 until his death.
Cullen, William (b. April 15, 1710, Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scot.—d. Feb. 5, 1790, Kirknewton, near Edinburgh) Scottish physician and pro¬ fessor. One of the first to teach in English rather than Latin, he was cel¬ ebrated for his clinical lectures, which he gave in the infirmary from his own notes instead of a text. He taught that life was a function of nervous energy and that muscle was a continuation of nerve. His influential clas¬ sification of disease included febrile diseases, nervous diseases, diseases produced by bad bodily habits, and local diseases.
Cullinan Vko-lo-nonV diamond Largest gem diamond ever discov¬ ered. It weighed about 3,106 carats in rough form when it was found in 1905 at the Premier mine in Transvaal, S.Af. Named for Sir Thomas Cull¬ inan, who had discovered the mine, the colourless stone was purchased by the Transvaal government and presented to Britain’s King Edward VII. It was cut into 9 large stones and about 100 smaller ones, all flawless; they are now part of the British crown jewels.
Culloden \k3-'la-d 3 n. Battle of (April 16, 1746) Last battle of the “Forty-five Rebellion,” which took place on a moor near Inverness, Scot. The Jacobites, under Charles Edward, the Young Pretender, were defeated by British forces under the duke of Cumberland. Some 1,000 of the Young Pretender’s army of 5,000 were killed by the 9,000 Redcoats, who lost only 50 men. The battle, which lasted only 40 minutes, marked the end of any serious attempt to restore the house of Stuart to the British throne.
Culpeper's Rebellion (1677-79) Popular uprising in the Albemarle section of Carolina to protest the British Navigation Acts, which denied the colonists free markets. Led by John Culpeper and George Durant, the rebels imprisoned the deputy governor (and customs collector) and other officials. They convened a legislature, chose Culpeper as governor, and ran the colony for two years. Culpeper was removed by the colony’s pro¬ prietors and tried for treason but never punished.