GROTESQUE  , strictly a

form of decorative art, in painting or sculpture, consisting of fantastic shapes of human beings, animals and the like, joined together by wreaths of flowers, garlands or arabesques . The word is also applied to any whimsical design or decorative style, if characterized by unnatural distortion, and, generally, to anything ludicrous or extravagantly fanciful . " Grotesque " comes through the French from the Ital. groltesco, an adjective formed from grotta, which has been corrupted in English to " grotto." The commonly accepted explanation of the special use of the term " grotesque " is that this particular form of decorative art was most frequently found in the excavated ancient Roman and Greek dwellings found in Italy, to which was applied the name grotte . The derivation of grotta is through popular Lat. crupta or grupta (cf . " crypt "), from Gr . Kpinrr?1, a vault, KpinrTELV, to hide . Such a term would be applicable both to the buried dwellings of ancient Italy, and to a cavern, artificial or natural, the ordinary sense of the word . An interesting parallel with this origin of the word is found in that of " antic," now meaning a freak, a jest, absurd fancy, &c . This word is the same as " antique," and was, like " grotesque," first applied to the fanciful decorations of ancient art .