An Italian-born critic and intellectual living in Paris, Canudo (1877–1923) moved in the avant-garde circles of Apollinaire, Cocteau, and the Futurists. He was fascinated by the synthesis of the arts—the idea that painting, music, poetry, and dance could merge into a new, total expression. While other artists experimented with cubism or futurism, Canudo focused on the brand-new medium of moving pictures.
Canudo argued that cinema is a "plastic art in motion" and a supreme synthesis of the six preceding arts. He divided these into two categories: Rhythms of Space (Plastic Arts): Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting. Rhythms of Time (Rhythmical Arts): Music, Dance, and Poetry/Literature. Universidade de Lisboa Ricciotto Canudo Manifesto Das Sete Artes Pdf
When referencing the Manifesto das Sete Artes in a paper or thesis, use a format like: An Italian-born critic and intellectual living in Paris,
Canudo saw a fundamental divide: