frontality

American  

[fruhn-tal-i-tee, fron-] / frʌnˈtæl ɪ ti, frɒn- /

noun

Fine Arts.

1. the representation of the front view of figures or objects in a work of art.

2. the organization of planes parallel to the picture plane in the pictorial arts, or the composition of volumes entirely from the front view in sculpture.

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frontality British  

/ frənˈtælɪtɪ /

noun

1. fine arts a frontal view, as in a painting or other work of art

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Etymology

Origin of frontality

First recorded in 1900–05; frontal + -ity

Example Sentences

A self-portrait from 1902 suggests the frontality of Giacometti.

From BusinessWeek • Nov. 25, 2011

But whereas Leonardo tried to soften the transitions, Caravaggio's contrasts of colour and light are aggressively hard-edged, almost heraldic in their geometrical clarity and frontality, and played out over dark, skyless backgrounds.

From The Guardian • Apr. 9, 2010

Other photographs suggest the impassive forms of the pyramid at Tenayuca as an inspiration for the immovable frontality of Mr. Albers’s compositions.

From New York Times • Mar. 18, 2010

The painting’s rich detail and foursquare frontality all but command attention.

From Washington Post

Matchbook and spectacles, in a 1962 ink drawing, were depicted with the stark frontality of a Byzantine icon.

From Time Magazine Archive