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French, from ''Étienne de Silhouette'' †1767 French controller general of finances.
French, from ''Étienne de Silhouette'' †1767 French controller general of finances.
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_century 1783]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_century 1783]
The word "silhouette" derives from the name of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89tienne_de_Silhouette Étienne de Silhouette], a French finance minister who, in 1759, was forced by France's credit crisis during the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Years_War Seven Years War] to impose severe [[economic]] demands upon the French people, particularly the [[wealthy]]. Because of de Silhouette's [[austere]] economies, his name became eponymous with anything done or made cheaply and so with these outline portraits. Prior to the advent of [[photography]], silhouette profiles cut from black card were the cheapest way of recording a [[person]]'s [[appearance]].
The word "silhouette" derives from the name of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89tienne_de_Silhouette Étienne de Silhouette], a French finance minister who, in 1759, was forced by France's credit crisis during the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Years_War Seven Years War] to impose severe [[economic]] demands upon the French people, particularly the [[wealthy]]. Because of de Silhouette's [[austere]] economies, his name became eponymous with anything done or made cheaply and so with these outline portraits. Prior to the advent of photography, silhouette profiles cut from black card were the cheapest way of recording a [[person]]'s [[appearance]].
The term "silhouette", although existing from the 18th century, was not applied to the [[art]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portraiture portrait-making] until the 19th century. In the 18th and early 19th century, “profiles” or “shades” as they were called were made by one of 3 [[methods]]: (1) painted on ivory, plaster, paper, card, or in reverse on glass; (2) “hollow-cut” where the negative image was traced and then cut away from light colored [[paper]] which was then laid atop a dark background; and (3) “cut & paste” where the figure was cut out of dark paper (usually free-hand) and then pasted onto a light background.
The term "silhouette", although existing from the 18th century, was not applied to the [[art]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portraiture portrait-making] until the 19th century. In the 18th and early 19th century, “profiles” or “shades” as they were called were made by one of 3 [[methods]]: (1) painted on ivory, plaster, paper, card, or in reverse on glass; (2) “hollow-cut” where the negative image was traced and then cut away from light colored [[paper]] which was then laid atop a dark background; and (3) “cut & paste” where the figure was cut out of dark paper (usually free-hand) and then pasted onto a light background.
==Definitions==
==Definitions==
*1: a likeness cut from [[dark]] material and mounted on a [[light]] ground or one sketched in outline and solidly colored in
*1: a likeness cut from [[dark]] material and mounted on a [[light]] ground or one sketched in outline and solidly colored in