The sfumato means évanescent , with a concept of smoked out : this word derives from Italian fumo , smoke. It is a technique of Peinture which Léonard de Vinci developed, and described like “without lines nor contours, with the way of smoke or beyond the focal plan”. It is a vaporous effect, obtained by the superposition of several extremely delicate coats of paint, which gives about contours vague. It is used to give an impression of depth to the tables of the Renaissance.

One also speaks about perspective atmospheric .

Effect of depth

The effect of depth is due to the fact that the vision of the details and the Contraste S grows blurred with the distance. On the one hand the reduction in the size makes more difficult the distinction of the elements (see the article Resolving power ), on the other hand the Absorption of the light by the atmosphere (dust, Brume) attenuates the differences.

See too

• the Mona Lisa

• Visibility