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Leonardo da Vinci: The Virgin of the Rocks
The Virgin of the Rocks, oil painting by Leonardo da Vinci, 1483–86; in the Louvre, Paris.
sfumato
painting technique
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- Key People:
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Related Topics:
- painting
- chiaroscuro
sfumato, (from Italian sfumare, “to tone down” or “to evaporate like smoke”), in painting or drawing, the fine shading that produces soft, imperceptible transitions between colours and tones. It is used most often in connection with the work of Leonardo da Vinci and his followers, who made subtle gradations, without lines or borders, from light to dark areas; the technique was used for a highly illusionistic rendering of facial features and for atmospheric effects. See also chiaroscuro.