sfumato

American  

[sfoo-mah-toh] / sfuˈmɑ toʊ /

noun

Fine Arts.

1. the subtle and minute gradation of tone and color used to blur or veil the contours of a form in painting.

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sfumato British  

/ sfuːˈmɑːtəʊ /

noun

1. (in painting) a gradual transition between areas of different colour, avoiding sharp outlines

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Etymology

Origin of sfumato

1840–50; < Italian, past participle of sfumare to gradate tone or color, equivalent to s- < Latin ex- ex- ¹ + fumare to smoke < Latin fumāre; fume

Example Sentences

But some behold a deeper beauty there, too—the Mona Lisa’s hazy landscape and beguiling expression alike arise from Leonardo’s use of sfumato, a complex technique in which soft outlines emerge from many delicate layers of paint, like figures from a fog.

From Scientific American

Similar to the Italian lemons—the tarter Sorrento and the sweeter Sfumato—used to make limoncello, my two lemon varieties impart different levels of sweetness and tartness.

From Salon

Choose a lighter, sweeter amaro or, should your smoke tolerance be higher, double down with Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro, a smoky, alpine amaro made in northern Italy.

From New York Times

And, if you’re on a tight timeline, combine equal parts Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro and sweet vermouth over ice, and start drinking.

From New York Times

The smoky texture of the images led me to think of her technique as a kind of sfumato: shading in and out of moods of presence, absence and longing.

From New York Times