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Silhouette: From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Silhouette: From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Silhouette: From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
A traditional silhouette portrait of the late 18th century-Scherenschnitt (Silhouette) von Ferdinand
Ernst von Waldstein in Ludwig van Beethovens Stammbuch
The only known contemporary depiction of Martha Jefferson, wife of Thomas Jefferson.
Contents
[hide]
2History
o
2.1Mythological origins
2.2Profile portraits
3.1Shadow theatre
3.2Movies
3.3Architecture
3.4Photography
4Other uses
4.2Identification
4.3Military usage
4.4Journalism
4.5Firearm targets
5Silhouette images
7See also
8References
9Bibliography
10Film
11External links
History[edit]
Vase by the Nessos Painter. The scene on the neck shows Heracles stabbing Nessos. The scene
on the belly shows events associated with Perseus. C. 620610 BC, now in the Athens National
Archaeological Museum
Mythological origins[edit]
The silhouette is closely tied in mythology to the origins of art. Pliny the Elder, in his Natural
History (circa 7779 AD) Books XXXIV and XXXV, recounts the origin of painting. In Chapter 5 of Book
XXXV, he writes,
We have no certain knowledge as to the commencement of the art of painting, nor does this enquiry fall
under our consideration. The Egyptians assert that it was invented among themselves, six thousand
years before it passed into Greece; a vain boast, it is very evident. As to the Greeks, some say that it
was invented at Sicyon, others at Corinth; but they all agree that it originated in tracing lines round the
human shadow [...omnes umbra hominis lineis circumducta].. In Chapter 15, he tells the story of
Butades of Corinth:
Butades, a potter of Sicyon, was the first who invented, at Corinth, the art of modelling portraits
in the earth which he used in his trade. It was through his daughter that he made the discovery;
who, being deeply in love with a young man about to depart on a long journey, traced the profile
of his face, as thrown upon the wall by the light of the lamp [umbram ex facie eius ad lucernam
in pariete lineis circumscripsit]. Upon seeing this, her father filled in the outline, by compressing
clay upon the surface, and so made a face in relief, which he then hardened by fire along with
other articles of pottery.
In accord with the myth, Greek Black-figure pottery painting,[7] also known as the black-figure
style or black-figure ceramic (Greek, , melanomorpha, common between the
7th and 5th centuries BC) employs the silhouette and characteristic profile views of figures and
objects on pottery forms. The pots themselves exhibit strong forms in outline that are indicators
of their purpose, as well as being decorative.[8]
Profile portraits[edit]
Portrait
Anonymous American Artist, "Mister Bethany and Patience Wright," 18th century. Private
collection
For the depiction of portraits, the profile image has marked advantage over a full-face image in
many circumstances, because it depends strongly upon the proportions and relationship of the
bony structures of the face (the forehead, nose and chin) making the image is clear and simple. For
this reason profile portraits have been employed on coinage since the Roman era. The early
Renaissance period saw a fashion for painted profile portraits and people such as Federico da
Montefeltro and Ludovico Sforza were depicted in profile portraits. The profile portrait is strongly
linked to the silhouette.
Recent research at Stanford University indicates that where previous studies of face recognition
have been based on frontal views, studies with silhouettes show humans are able to extract
accurate information about gender and age from the silhouette alone.[9] This is an important concept
for artists who design characters for visual media, because the silhouette is the most immediately
recognisable and identifiable shape of the character.[10]
A silhouette portrait can be painted or drawn. However, the traditional method of creating silhouette
portraits is to cut them from lightweight black cardboard, and mount them on a pale (usually white)
background. This was the work of specialist artists, often working out of booths at fairs or markets,
whose trade competed with that of the more expensive miniaturistspatronised by the wealthy. A
traditional silhouette portrait artist would cut the likeness of a person, freehand, within a few
minutes.[11] Some modern silhouette artists also make silhouette portraits from photographs of
people taken in profile.[5]
The work of the physiognomist Johann Caspar Lavater, who used silhouettes to analyse facial
types, is thought to have promoted the art.[12] The 18th century silhouette artist August Edouart cut
thousands of portraits in duplicate. His subjects included French and British nobility and US
presidents. Much of his personal collection was lost in a shipwreck.[13] In England, the best known
silhouette artist, a painter not a cutter, was John Miers, who travelled and worked in different cities,
but had a studio on the Strand in London.[14] He advertised "three minute sittings",[15] and the cost
might be as low as half a crown around 1800. Miers' superior products could be in grisaille, with
delicate highlights added in gold or yellow, and some examples might be painted on various
backings, including gesso, glass or ivory.[16] The size was normally small, with many designed to fit
into a locket, but otherwise a bust some 3 to 5 inches high was typical, with half- or full-length
portraits proportionately larger.
Illustration
Shadow theatre[edit]
Originating in the orient with traditions such as the shadow theatres of Indonesia, the shadow
play became a popular entertainment in Paris during the 18th and 19th century. In the Paris of the
late 19th century, the shadow theatre was particularly associated with the cabaret Le Chat
Noir where Henri Rivire was the designer.[28]
Movies[edit]
Since their pioneering use by Lotte Reiniger in silent films, silhouettes have been used for a variety
of iconic, graphic, emotional, or conversely for distancing, effects in many movies. These include
many of the opening credit sequences of the James Bond films. The opening sequence of the
television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents features a silhouetted profile of Alfred
Hitchcock stepping into a caricatured outline of himself, and in his movie Psycho the killer in the
shower scene manifests as a terrifying silhouette. A scene from E.T. showing the central characters
on a flying bicycle silhouetted against the full moon became a well-known movie poster. Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 contains an animated sequence in silhouette illustrating a
short story The Tale of the Three Brothers that is embedded in the film. The sequence was
produced by Ben Hibon for Framestore, with artwork by Alexis Lidell.
Silhouettes have also been used by recording artists in music videos. One example is the video for
"Buttons" by The Pussycat Dolls, in which Nicole Scherzinger is seen in silhouette. Michael
Jackson used his own distinctive silhouette both on stage and in videos such as "You Rock My
World". Early iPod commercials portrayed silhouetted dancers wearing an iPod and earbuds.
The cult television program, Mystery Science Theater 3000 features the three main characters of
the series watching a movie as silhouettes at the bottom of the screen.
Scene from the film noir, The Big Combo(1955) filmed by John Alton
Architecture[edit]
The discipline of architecture that studies the shadows cast by or upon buildings is
called Sciography.
The play of shadows upon buildings was very much in vogue a thousand years ago as evidenced
by the surviving examples of "mukarnas" art where the shadows of 3 dimensional ornamentation
with stone masonry around the entrance of mosques form pictures. As outright pictures were
avoided in Islam, tessellations and calligraphic pictures were allowed, "accidental" silhouettes are a
creative alternative.[29][30]
Photography[edit]
Silhouette of St. Peter's Basilica at sundown (view from Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome).
In graphic design[edit]
In media the term "to silhouette" is used for the process of separating or masking a portion of an
image (such as the background) so that it does not show. Traditionally silhouettes have often been
used in advertising, particularly in poster design, because they can be cheaply and effectively
printed.
Advertising
Other uses[edit]
Identification[edit]
Because silhouettes give a very clear image, they are often used in any field where the speedy
identification of an object is necessary. Silhouettes have a many practical applications. They are
used for traffic signs (see pic below). They are used to identify towns or countries with silhouettes of
monuments or maps. They are used to identify natural objects such as trees, insects and
dinosaurs. They are used in forensic science.[36]
Military usage[edit]
Silhouette of an aircraft
Main articles: Aircraft recognition and Jane's Fighting Ships
Silhouettes of ships, planes, tanks, and other military vehicles are used by soldiers and sailors for
learning to identify different craft.
Journalism[edit]
For interviews, some individuals choose to be videotaped in silhouette to mask their facial features
and protect their anonymity, typically accompanied by a dubbed voice. This is done when the
individuals may be endangered if it is known they were interviewed.
Firearm targets[edit]
Human silhouette targets[edit]
Human silhouette targets are use for military, police and civilian firearms training.
A digital target range at the firearms training simulator on Kunsan Air Base waits to
be used.
Metallic silhouettetargets featuring a chicken, pig, turkey and ram, scaled to appear as
they would if placed at the correct distances from the shooter. Scale in minutes of angle,
correct for NRA high power rifle using yards.
Silhouette images[edit]
Beethoven as a boy, finely cut with details of hair and clothing, 18th century
Traffic signs often use silhouettes. This sign warns that the road crosses a railway line.
The flag of Cyprusshows a map of the country in silhouette form. Countries are often
identified by silhouette maps.
A silhouette of the Statue of Liberty in New York. Monuments are often identified by their
silhouettes.
Rumination
Walpurgis night
The Silent
Cambodia at sunset
See also[edit]
Osborne bull
Silhouette artists
References[edit]
1.
2.
3.
Jump up^ Teall, Gardner (Aug 1916). "Silhouettes Old and New". House &
Garden. 30: 20.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Jump up^ R. M. Cook (1976). Review of John Boardman 'Athenian Black Figure
Vases: A Handbook.' The Classical Review (New Series), 26, pp 253-253.
doi:10.1017/S0009840X00248610.
8.
Jump up^ Trendall, A. D. (Arthur Dale Trendall) & National Gallery of Victoria
(1966). Greek vases in the Felton Collection. Oxford University Press, Melbourne ;
New York
9.
10.
Jump up^ Good design lies in the foundation, accessed August 18, 2009.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
Jump up^ Artist brings talent to The Woodlands shop, Houston Chronicle
20.
21.
22.
Jump up^ Traditional European paper cuts are different in this regard to
traditional Oriental paper cuts which are often made of several layers of brightly
coloured and patterned paper, and have many formal decorative elements such as
flower petals.
23.
24.
Jump up^ Hans Christian Andersen's Paper Cuts in the Royal Library, accessed
November 2, 2008.
Jump up^ Mister Rob Ryan, accessed November 2, 2008.
25.
26.
27.
Jump up^ Knipe, P. (2002). Paper profiles: American portrait silhouettes. Journal
of the American Institute for Conservation, 41(3), 203-223.
28.
Jump up^ Le Cabaret du Chat Noir (18811897), Muse d'Orsay, Paris, 1992
29.
30.
31.
Jump up^ Adams, Ansel & Baker, Robert (1995). The camera (1st pbk. ed).
Little, Brown, Boston
32.
Jump up^ Adams, Ansel & Baker, Robert (1981). The negative (1st ed). New
York Graphic Society, Boston
33.
Jump up^ Adams, Ansel & Baker, Robert (2003). The print. Little, Brown and
Company, Boston
34.
35.
Jump up^ There are over 1,800,000 mentions of the word "silhouette" in
conjunction with "fitness" online. There are many "Silhouette Fitness" studios and
gymnasiums, e.g. in Halifax, in Bendigo, in Switzerland etc
36.
Bibliography[edit]
Knipe, Penley (2002). "Paper Profiles: American Portrait Silhouettes". Journal of the American
Institute for Conservation. 44 (3): 203223.
McKechnie, Sue (1978). British Silhouette Artists and their Work, 17601860. London: Sotheby
Parke Bernet. ISBN 0856670367.
McLynn, Frank (2005) [2004]. 1759:The Year Britain Became Master of the World. London:
Pimlico. ISBN 9780712694186.
Orr, Inge C. (1974). "Puppet Theater in Asia". Asian Folklore Studies. 33 (1): 6984.
Rutherford, Emma (2009). Silhouette: The Art of the Shadow. New York: Rizzoli. ISBN 978-08478-3077-0.
Stoichit, Victor (1997). A Short History of the Shadow. Essays in Art & Culture. London:
Reaktion. ISBN 978-1-86189-000-9.
Sedda, Julia (2014). "Silhouettes: the fashionable paper portrait miniature around 1800". In
Pappe, Bernd; Schmieglitz-Otten, Juliane; Walczak, Gerrit. European Portrait Miniatures:
artists, functions and collections. Petersberg: Michael Imhof Verlag. pp. 179185. ISBN 978-386568-969-6.
Sedda, Julia (2009). "Reading circles, crafts, and flower arranging: everyday items in the
silhouettes of Luise Duttenhofer (17761829)". In Goggin, Maureen Daly; Tobin, Beth
Fowkes. Women and Things, 17501950: gendered material strategies. Farnham:
Ashgate. ISBN 978-0-7546-6550-2.
Film[edit]
Reiniger, Lotte: Homage to the Inventor of the Silhouette Film. Dir. Katja Raganelli. DVD.
Milestone Film, 1999.
External links[edit]
WikimediaCommonshas
mediarelatedtoSilhouettes.
"Silhouettes". Paintings & Drawings. Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
Profile Likenesses of the Executive and Legislature of Georgia (Silhouette Book), by William H.
Brown, 1855 from the collection of the Georgia Archives.
Ingersoll, Julia (2003). "Wayang Kulit: the Ancient Shadow Plays of Bali". Gamelan Tunas
Mekar. Retrieved 22 November 2016.