Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The blurring or softening of sharp outlines in painting by subtle and gradual blending of one tone into another.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In painting, smoked: noting a style of painting wherein the tints are so blended that outlines are scarcely perceptible, the effect of the whole being indistinct or misty.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective (Paint.) Having vague outlines, and colors and shades so mingled as to give a misty appearance; -- said of a painting.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun In painting, the application of subtle layers of translucent paint so that there is no visible transition between colors, tones and often objects.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Italian, from past participle of sfumare, to evaporate, fade out : s-, from (from Latin ex-; see ex–) + fumare, to smoke (from Latin fūmāre; see fumatory).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Italian sfumato, 'shaded, toned down' (1909)

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Examples

  • In particular, he developed a theory and practice revolving around the representation of shadows, called sfumato .

    Leonardo's Optics in Action, in Paint Cammy Brothers 2011

  • It is like a picture, or a succession of pictures, painted in what the Italians call the sfumato, or “smoky” manner.

    The Life and Genius of Nathaniel Hawthorne Stearns, Frank P 1906

  • Vinci's brush strokes and a technique called sfumato, which he used to hide transitions between dark and light areas and to create realistic shading.

    Discover Blogs 2010

  • This technique is called sfumato (from the Italian for "foggy").

    PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

  • But, despite sharing admiration for the grand master, art historians cannot yet agree on how exactly Leonardo managed to generate this effect referred to as sfumato after the Italian "fumo" for smoke.

    physicsworld.com: all content 2010

  • Actors seem to displace an image of mist — what the creative team calls "sfumato," after the Renaissance painting technique — as they move in front of it.

    A Digital Night at the Opera 2010

  • The technique, called "sfumato," allowed da Vinci to give outlines and contours a hazy quality and create an illusion of depth and shadow.

    X-ray study unlocks some of the 'Mona Lisa' magic 2010

  • The technique, called "sfumato," allowed da Vinci to give outlines and contours a hazy quality and create an illusion of depth and shadow.

    French Scientists Crack Secrets Of 'Mona Lisa' 2010

  • Looking at the first picture, the word "sfumato" comes to mind...

    Edges in Moonlight James Gurney 2009

  • It's related to the concept of "sfumato," the smoky atmospherics made famous by Da Vinci in works like the Mona Lisa.

    Archive 2008-10-01 James Gurney 2008

Comments

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  • Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) became the most prominent practitioner of sfumato. The face of Mona Lisa uses sfumato, particularly in the shading around the eyes.
    See detail of face here.

    March 7, 2016