1590s, from Dutch ezel “easel,” originally “ass,” from Middle Dutch esel, from Latin asinus “ass” (see ass (n. 1)); the comparison being of loading a burden on a donkey and propping up a painting or canvas on a wooden stand (compare sawhorse, French chevalet, Italian cavalletto).

What does easels mean in English?

a frame for supporting
: a frame for supporting something (such as an artist’s canvas)

What is another name for an easel?

What is another word for easel?

What is an artist’s stand called?

easels
An easel is an upright support used for displaying and/or fixing something resting upon it, at an angle of about 20° to the vertical. In particular, easels are traditionally used by painters to support a painting while they work on it, normally standing up, and are also sometimes used to display finished paintings.

Why is it called an easel?

Did you know there’s a donkey behind “easel”? This word for a frame supporting an artist’s canvas comes from the Dutch word “ezel,” meaning an ass or donkey. The Dutch called the easel a “donkey” because it, like a beast of burden, lugged the artist’s canvas from one spot to another.

How much does an easel cost?

The price range for tabletop art easels ranges from $15 – $200. Tabletop art easels are ideal for: artists who work in a small scale and don’t need a full-size easel; artists who have limited space; artists who need a portable easel.

What do you call a painting stand?

An easel is an upright support used for displaying and/or fixing something resting upon it, at an angle of about 20° to the vertical. In particular, easels are traditionally used by painters to support a painting while they work on it, normally standing up, and are also sometimes used to display finished paintings.

Where does the word easel come from in Dutch?

Etymology. The word easel is an old Germanic synonym for donkey (compare similar semantics). In various other languages, its equivalent is the only word for both the animal and the apparatus, such as Afrikaans: esel and earlier Dutch: ezel (the easel generally in full Dutch: schildersezel, “painter’s donkey”),…

Is the word easel a synonym for a donkey?

The word easel is an old Germanic synonym for donkey (compare similar semantics). In various other languages, its equivalent is the only word for both the animal and the apparatus, such as Afrikaans: esel and earlier Dutch: ezel (the easel generally in full Dutch: schildersezel, “painter’s donkey”), themselves cognates of the Latin: asinus (ass).

What is a synonym for the word easel?

SEE SYNONYMS FOR easel ON THESAURUS.COM. a stand or frame for supporting or displaying at an angle an artist’s canvas, a blackboard, a china plate, etc.

Who was the first person to use an easel?

Easels have been in use since the time of the ancient Egyptians. In the 1st century, Pliny the Elder made reference to a “large panel” placed upon an easel.