Silhouette
A silhouette is a view of an object or scene consisting of the outline and a featureless interior. The term comes from Etienne de Silhouette, a finance minister of Louis XV who in 1759 imposed such harsh economic demands upon the French people that his name became synonymous with anything done or made cheaply.
In art
A silhouette is a form of art work. It is most commonly a human portrait in profile, in black. Silhouettes are most often made by a skilled silhouette artist by looking at a subject’s profile, whether in person or from a photograph, and simply cutting out their likeness freehand.
Two hundred years ago, long before the camera was invented, someone wishing to have an inexpensive portrait created of their loved ones would have visited a silhouette artist. Within minutes and using only a pair of scissors and a skillful eye, he would have produced a wonderful little image with a remarkable resemblance to his subject.
The name Silhouette traces back to the mid-18th century French finance minister, Etienne de Silhouette. Because his name was synonymous with doing things cheaply and because he was fond of making these images himself, this artform was named after him.
In America, Silhouettes were highly popular from about 1790 to 1840. The invention of the camera signaled the end of the Silhouette as a widespread form of portraiture. However, their popularity is being reborn in a new generation of people who appreciate the Silhouette as a nostalgic and unique way of capturing a loved one’s image.
In music videos
Sihouettes of their bodies has been used by recording artists in their music videos to make the videos more attractive. One great example is the sassy singing group The Pussycat Dolls. In one of their popular video, Buttons, Nicole Scherzinger is seen showing her body silhouette in a very sensual and sultry way.
Military usage
Silhouettes of ships, planes, tanks, and other vessels used by the military are used by soldiers and saliors for recognition purposes. See Jane’s Fighting Ships, aircraft recognition.
In graphic design
To silhouette is to separate (mask) a portion of an image so that it does not show. For instance, a background.
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