sfumato
noun
sfu·ma·to
sfü-ˈmä-(ˌ)tō 
: the definition of form in painting without abrupt outline by the blending of one tone into another
Examples of sfumato in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The masterful subtlety of light brushstrokes and the troublingly realistic sfumato of the Renaissance painter in the service of god or a noblewoman elevated the work and, by extension, its maker to celebrity.
—
Ruby Justice Thelot, ARTnews.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Leonardo is famous for his use of sfumato, a technique that uses layering to make smooth transitions between colors and tones.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023
Her soft hair has been rendered with smoky, blurry brush strokes that anticipate Leonardo’s mastery of sfumato by decades.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2020
So, for all the hype surrounding it, the exhibition offers a precious opportunity to find a bit of focus in the fog, to draw something substantial out of the sfumato.
—Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2019
That’s because the artist’s famed sfumato technique—a blurring of outlines—gives the painting an ethereal quality that is exceedingly hard to mimic on a sentient face.
—Claudia Kalb, National Geographic, 6 June 2019
Resounding and joyful, the rich complexity of its sound evokes the luminescence of Leonardo’s paintings—a musical sfumato with soft edges and lingering tones.
—Claudia Kalb, National Geographic, 12 June 2019
But Leonardo’s ability to blur the line between reality and imagination, just like his sfumato technique for blurring the lines of a painting, was a key to his creativity.
—Walter Isaacson, WSJ, 29 Sep. 2017
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ruby Justice Thelot, ARTnews.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Leonardo is famous for his use of sfumato, a technique that uses layering to make smooth transitions between colors and tones.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023
Her soft hair has been rendered with smoky, blurry brush strokes that anticipate Leonardo’s mastery of sfumato by decades.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2020
So, for all the hype surrounding it, the exhibition offers a precious opportunity to find a bit of focus in the fog, to draw something substantial out of the sfumato.
—Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2019
That’s because the artist’s famed sfumato technique—a blurring of outlines—gives the painting an ethereal quality that is exceedingly hard to mimic on a sentient face.
—Claudia Kalb, National Geographic, 6 June 2019
Resounding and joyful, the rich complexity of its sound evokes the luminescence of Leonardo’s paintings—a musical sfumato with soft edges and lingering tones.
—Claudia Kalb, National Geographic, 12 June 2019
But Leonardo’s ability to blur the line between reality and imagination, just like his sfumato technique for blurring the lines of a painting, was a key to his creativity.
—Walter Isaacson, WSJ, 29 Sep. 2017
Articles Related to sfumato
Dictionary Entries Near sfumato
Cite this Entry
“Sfumato.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sfumato. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share