Have you ever wondered how the Mona Lisa changed the world? Well, it actually used a smoky technique known as sfumato. Keep reading to find out how art blurs the lines of reality. Sfumato comes from the the Italian word, sfumare which is to ‘tone down’ or ‘to evaporate like smoke’. Sfumato is the art of making subtle gradations without using distinctive lines and borders from light to dark areas. This technique was also used for portraying the facial features of certain paintings. It was created by Leonardo da Vinci as he wanted to change the traditional Florentine technique of outlining images into a more subtle technique with soft transitions of light and shade.
What are the key features of sfumato?
The sfumato technique uses no bold or harsh outlines. By blurring and blending carefully, artists use sfumato to give a smoky, hazy effect to a painting. Sometimes, this is done using a dry brush technique or by carefully smudging or blending with a finger, a rag or another brush.
- Blurred Edges: Instead of sharp outlines, objects dissolve into each other uncovering a sense of mystery
- Gradations: When two different tones of colors merge into each other, this layering accounts for transitions in light to shadow
- Perspective, Light and Shadow: There is an atmospheric, misty perspective is portrayed by the layout of the light and shadow which accounts for the gentle light caressing surfaces and soft shadows which highlights the subjects
Sfumato in the Mona Lisa
Leonardo da Vinci was amazed by the way light falls on curved surfaces. The technique of sfumato was created entirely to make the lady’s face appear to glow, giving the painting a magical touch.
According to Louvre Curator Jean-Pierre Cuzin, “The entire history of portraiture afterwards depends on the Mona Lisa.” By studying the human anatomy, Leonardo developed a mathematical system for determining size in space which is incorporated in Mona Lisa’s torso, head and eyes as they are turned a little more to the viewer. Da Vinci also discovered that the farther something is in the distance, the smaller the scale, the more silent the colors and the less detailed the outlines.
In the Mona Lisa, you can see that in all three points on her face, the technique of sfumato is illuminated as the contrast between her hair and her face is merged together in a hazy, gradient like shading.
How is sfumato used today?
Sfumato isn’t limited to traditional painting alone. In today’s world, sfumato’s principles have expanded to photography and filmaking where the soft focus and light aim to recreate the dreamy effects seen in sfumato paintings. By blending colors and tones together gradually, it creates a captivating effect that captures the viewer’s heart and imagination. Sfumato also impacts the world by evoking emotions, depth and blur the boundaries of objects. Hence, the sfumato technique which originated in the Renaissance has inspired artists and photographers today. Overall, sfumato is the last subtype of the chiaroscuro bunch and it’s a technique that was used widely all over the world as it shaped art for many decades to come.
Sources:
- https://www.britannica.com/art/sfumato
- https://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/mona_nav/mnav_level_1/3technique_monafrm.html
- https://drawpaintacademy.com/sfumato/
- https://www.thecollector.com/what-is-sfumato-in-art-4-key-examples/
- https://artincontext.org/sfumato/
- All photos except ‘Points of sfumato in the Mona Lisa’ is clicked by Dia Shah
