Horror vacui - Definition

In art history, especially in the criticism of painting, horror vacui describes the filling of every empty space in a work of art with some sort of design or image. It is one of the general characteristics of mathematical tiling or the dense space-filling fields in Celtic interlace designs (other examples are needed). The term is Latin in origin and literally means "fear of space".

Some examples of horror vacui can be seen on Barbaric objects such as the viking ship at Sutton Hoo or the Ruthwell Cross.