repoussoir

[ruh-poo-swahr]

noun

Painting.

1. a figure or object in the extreme foreground: used as a contrast and to increase the illusion of depth.

Word History and Origins

Origin of repoussoir¹

1870–75; < French, equivalent to repouss ( er ) to push back ( repoussé ) + -oir -ory ²

Example Sentences

Davis suspends the aerial diver in space, a repoussoir figure designed to visually lead us into the scene.

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The hitch: A repoussoir figure is a kind of stand-in for the audience, who is also peering into the scene.

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Repoussoir figures such as this one are commonly used in art to direct a viewer’s attention into a visually complicated scene.

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A so-called repoussoir figure, he turns to look over his shoulder directly at us.

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Some of his most delectable paintings, such as The Cornfield, 1826, rely on the Claudean use of dark repoussoir trees framing a view of bright space at the center, and this can make them too charming to a modern eye.

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