Definition of Sfumato Art History Glossary

Sfumato (pronounced sfoo ·mah ·toe) is the word art historians use to describe a painting technique taken to dizzying heights by the Italian Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci. The visual result of the technique is that there are no harsh outlines present (as in a coloring book). Instead, areas of dark and light blend into one another through miniscule brushstrokes, making for a rather hazy, albeit more realistic, depiction of light and color. The word sfumato means shaded, and it is the past participle of the Italian verb sfumare or shade. Fumare means smoke in Italian, and the combination of smoke and shade perfectly describes the barely perceptible gradation of tones and colors of the technique from light to dark, particularly used in flesh tones. An early, wonderful example of sfumato can be seen in Leonardos Mona Lisa. Inventing the Technique According to the art historian Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574), the technique was first invented by the Primitive Flemish school, including perhaps Jan Van Eyck and Rogier Van Der Weyden. Da Vincis first work incorporating sfumato is known as the Madonna of the Rocks, a triptych designed for the chapel in San Francesco Grande, painted between 1483 and 1485. Madonna of the Rocks was commissioned by the Franciscan Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception which, at the time, was still the object of some controversy. The Franciscans believed that the Virgin Mary was conceived immaculately (without sex); the Dominicans argued that would deny the need for Christs universal redemption of mankind. The contracted painting needed to show Mary as crowned in the living light and free from shadow, reflecting the plenitude of grace while humanity functioned in the orbit of the shadow. The final painting included a cave backdrop, which art historian Edward Olszewski says helped to define and signify Marys immaculacy—expressed by the sfumato technique applied to her face as emerging from the shadow of sin. Layers and Layers of Glazes Art historians have suggested that the technique was created by the careful application of multiple translucent layers of paint layers. In 2008, physicists Mady Elias and Pascal Cotte used a spectral technique to (virtually) strip away the thick layer of varnish from the Mona Lisa. Using a multi-spectral camera, they found that the sfumato effect was created by layers of a single pigment combining 1 percent vermillion and 99 percent lead white. Quantitative research was conducted by de Viguerie and colleagues (2010) using non-invasive advanced X-ray fluorescence spectrometry on nine faces painted by or attributed to da Vinci. Their results suggest that he constantly revised and improved the technique, culminating in the Mona Lisa. In his later paintings, da Vinci developed translucent glazes from an organic medium and laid them on the canvases in very thin films, some of which were only a micron (.00004 inches) in scale. Direct optical microscopy has shown that da Vinci achieved flesh tones by superimposing four layers: a priming layer of lead white; a pink layer of mixed lead white, vermillion, and earth; a shadow layer made with a translucent glaze with some opaque paint with dark pigments; and a varnish.  The thickness of each colored layer was found to range between 10-50 microns. A Patient Art The de Viguerie study identified those glazes on the faces of four of Leonardos paintings: Mona Lisa, Saint John the Baptist, Bacchus, and Saint Anne, the Virgin, and the Child. Glaze thicknesses increase on the faces from a few micrometers in the light areas to 30–55 microns in the dark areas, which are made of up to 20–30 distinct layers. The thickness of the paint on da Vincis canvases—not counting the varnish—is never more than 80 microns. That on St. John the Baptist is under 50. But those layers must have been laid down in a slow and deliberate fashion. The drying time between layers may have lasted from several days to several months, depending on the amount of resin and oil that was used in the glaze. That might well explain why da Vincis Mona Lisa took four years, and it was still not completed at da Vincis death in 1915. Sources: de Viguerie L, Walter P, Laval E, Mottin B, and Solà © VA. 2010. Revealing the sfumato Technique of Leonardo da Vinci by X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 49(35):6125-6128.Elias M, and Cotte P. 2008. Multispectral camera and radiative transfer equation used to depict Leonardos sfumato in Mona Lisa. Applied Optics 47(12):2146-2154.Olszewski EJ. 2011. How Leonardo invented sfumato. Source: Notes in the History of Art 31(1):4-9.Queiros-Conde D. 2004. The Turbulent Structure of Sfumato within Mona Lisa. Leonardo 37(3):223-228.

Pros and Cons of a Dry Campus - 809 Words

Every year, universities always have the same issue regarding alcohol. Students are constantly getting in trouble for possession or consumption. Here at Eastern Connecticut State University, the policy is a dry campus. This means that alcohol is completely prohibited on campus. There are many opinions when it comes to this choice, as there are also many pros and cons to it. One pro of having a dry campus is that students can find other events to go to. Eastern often offers other events where students can do and socialize, promoting a night without alcohol. Students can also join clubs, intramurals, sports, etc. All of these clubs and events offer a positive influence on the students by keeping them busy. According to a friend and†¦show more content†¦We are making these choices; therefore we should learn to live with the consequences. Personally, I feel that although all these deaths and injuries that occur because of alcohol, is actually the person. Yes there are more alcoh ol related incidents for college students, but that’s also because these students have no self-control and are not responsible for what they are doing. However, it’s not just happening in college. It’s happening everywhere, regardless of location. I do believe, however, that students who are underage should get punished when caught because they are breaking a law, not just a rule. In conclusion, I am not completely sure whether or not it is better to have dry campus. There are a lot of cons but there are also a lot of pros to it too. I think that it depends on the students and geography of theShow MoreRelatedSolar Panel Pros And Cons986 Words   |  4 PagesSolar Panel Pros and Cons Solar energy is the energy from the sun. It uses sunlight to produce electricity. These panels are usually installed on the roof and positioned to face the sun. 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Should Public High School Students Have Access to “The Kite Runner”‘s Content Free Essays

Should Public High School students have access to â€Å"The Kite Runner†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœs content? Khaled Hosseni’s famous novel, â€Å"The Kite Runner† is one of the most popular books of the decade. It is #1 New York Bestseller with sold more than 10 million copies. Even though the book has immense popularity, the book is banned in several countries including Afghanistan, Hosseni’s mother land because of its sexual orientation and the use of vulgar language. We will write a custom essay sample on Should Public High School Students Have Access to â€Å"The Kite Runner†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœs Content or any similar topic only for you Order Now The government believes the novel will outrage the Afghan community and may lead to chaotic situation. Even though some advocates of banning the novel for education curriculum may argue that, the book contains rapes in graphic detail, the use of vulgar language, offensive language and ethnic tensions, these romantic critics are too dogmatic in their provincial ideology. Hosseni’s novel, â€Å"The Kite Runner† shouldn’t be banned from high school students because of its teaching about loyalty, forgiveness, sacrifice and also provides an insight of real world alongside its immense popularity. Khaled Hosseni’s best-seller book, â€Å"The Kite Runner† shouldn’t be banned from high school curriculum. The book demonstrates different incidents which provide important lessons for the reader through its quotes. For example, when Amir talked about sin, Baba said, â€Å"No matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft† (Hosseni, 17). Baba believed stealing is the only sin a person can commit; other crimes are just different form of crime. This demonstrates the discouragement of vice, exists in the novel, which has great impact on reader’s mind. Additionally, the book provides a depth insight of the real world. It demonstrates the depravity of the war, the importance of kinship and also encourages people to stand up for the truth and demolish the false. So that’s why the book shouldn’t be banned. On the other hand, the opponents of the idea argue to deny the access of book to public high school students for various reasons. The book contains a sodomy rape scene in graphic detail which is arguably inappropriate for high school students. †(Green, Tracy. It’s Banned Book of the Week? Why Kite Runner? www. authorexposure. com . Sept 30, 2009. Web. April 13, 2013. http://www. authorexposure. com/2009/09/its-banned-book-week-why-kite-runner. html) As Assef tries to teach Hassan a lesson, â€Å"Assef knelt behind Hassan, put his hand on Hassan’s hips and lifted his bare buttocks. He k ept one hand on Hassan’s back and undid his own belt buckle with his free hand. He unzipped How to cite Should Public High School Students Have Access to â€Å"The Kite Runner†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœs Content, Essays

Lamb to the Slaughter vs Speckled Band Essay Thesis Example For Students

Lamb to the Slaughter vs Speckled Band Essay Thesis The murder mystery genre was first recognised as a major genre during the 19th century. Pioneers of this genre include the Norwegian writer Mauritz Hansen as his novel The murder of machine operator Rolfsen, published in 1839 is considered to be the earliest known novel of this genre. Another pioneer of the genre includes Edgar Allan Poe. Many of the conventions associated with the murder mystery genre prior to Doyle arriving onto the murder mystery scene, would have been invented by Hansen and Poe and would have influenced Doyle in his stories (Its fairly well known that Doyle was a very keen reader of Poes works). However, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, unlike Hansen or Poe, is believed to have popularised the genre with his Sherlock Holmes stories. There are various conventions associated with the genre. The most well known conventions of this genre include: a typically vulnerable female victim, the use of a sinister weapon for the murder, dark and horrific setting(s) for the scene of the crime(s). Other conventions of this genre include the motives behind the murder(s) generally being of vengeance, jealousy or financial gain. Yet another convention is the method used to kill the victim: poison, strangulation, stabbing, gunshot. There are conventions also in the way the crimes are uncovered and solved: the crimes were typically solved by a detective who is sharp, intellectual and fervent about their job; never failing to inspect even the most diminutive details. Another conventions attached to this genre is the author using fairly vague but convincing details, clues to mislead the readers (red-herrings) and of course the perpetrator eventually being brought to justice. In Lamb to the Slaughter Dahl subverts the conventions of the genre from the very first beginning as he names the book Lamb to the Slaughter; giving the reader an impression that something rather sinister is going to take place or that an innocent lamb is going to be lead to the slaughter. The title however juxtaposes with the beginning of the story; setting a very inviting and clean atmosphere for the crime scene instead of the conventionally dark and gloomy setting. Dahl also subverts the conventions by being meticulously detailed about simple, everyday objects, surroundings and actions e.g. instead of mentioning that Mr. Maloney drank the whiskey, Dahl gives particular attention to the fact that he unusually drained half of the drink in one go.  This builds tension by making Mr. Maloney look like the to be perpetrator; describing his actions an ominous slant prior to revealing the plaintive news to his wife, e.g. keeping his head down to avoid light hitting the lower part of his face and the slight twitch in the corner of his left eye. This also builds tension as it makes Mr. Maloney look villainous and creating anticipation within the reader for the crime to take place. Here onwards Dahl simply writes about Mrs. Maloneys feelings to the lamenting news revealed by her husband. This was done to ease the tension and for the readers to sympathise and understand her before they find out about the real perpetrator.  However, tensions start rising again in the paragraph that contains a mere four words; A leg of lamb. This sentence is left alone as a paragraph to help the readers realise the fact that this is the point where the titles meaning is going to be revealed (this builds up tensions amongst the readers making them anxious to know what takes place next). Dahl cleverly gets across the message that Mrs. Maloneys act of violence was unplanned in a few different ways. Firstly, as the narrator he ridicules her choice of weapon (the leg of lamb) saying: She might just as well have hit him with the steel club. Secondly he uses dialogue to further the point that it was unplanned; All right, so Ive killed him. Thirdly Dahl points out the fact that she rehearsed what to say to the grocer several times (something that isnt required if the murder was planned).  Another convention that gets subverted is that the murderer (Mary Maloney) calls the police herself. She also knows most of the policemen that came that night to investigate the crime scene and affectionately calls the Sergeant (Jack Noonan) by his name, instead of calling him Sergeant. Also worth noting is the fact that the investigators (detectives) know the murderer and the victim. .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00 , .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00 .postImageUrl , .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00 , .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00:hover , .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00:visited , .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00:active { border:0!important; } .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00:active , .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00 .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u40893de83a0a987da2d6a20371f97b00:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: A Personal Experience In The Arts EssayYet another convention that gets broken is the fact that all the policeman are extremely kind towards Mary Maloney and after arriving on the scene, rule out her involvement in the murder completely, not something a dedicated but emotionless detective would do. They are also later found to be negligent when it came to their work guidelines i.e. consuming alcoholic drinks.  Peculiarly the police officers dont bother asking her to go vacate the house to some other place instead to search the property. They also failed to decline Mary Maloneys request of eating up the lamb.