Sfumato
sfumato (soft blending technique)
noun sfu-MAH-toh Rare
Origin: from Italian sfumare, to evaporate
Usage Note
Sfumato is Leonardo da Vinci's technique of imperceptible tonal transitions without hard outlines, evoking atmospheric depth. Neutral noun (das Sfumato) in German art-historical writing.
Examples
"Das Sfumato verleiht dem Gesicht der Mona Lisa seine rätselhafte Weichheit."
Natural Translation
The sfumato gives the Mona Lisa's face its mysterious softness.
Literal Translation
The sfumato lends the face of the Mona Lisa its mysterious softness.
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