Open lesson in fine arts. Topic: "Silhouette" (expressive means of graphics)

Just like you, the first viewers of this film were surprised. It was shown by the artist at the beginning of the last century. The audience was perplexed, argued, laughed, but the picture was preserved for posterity. - Why do you think it is now kept in the museum? - What's special about it? The artist Kazimir Malevich made his contemporaries think about the semantic meaning of color. Before us is not just a black square spot on a white background. It's darkness and light. And there is a constant struggle between them. It’s as if we’re being sucked into a black well of space, and then it seems like a few more moments – and everything will be filled with white light.

Black and white are unusual colors. With their help you can convey a wide variety of creative ideas. The combination of these colors is noble, strict, beautiful. Let's look at the exhibition of graphic works. Name the genre of fine art for each work.

What is a silhouette? A silhouette is a drawing, an image in the form of a solid spot. In such a drawing it is impossible to show facial features or other details located inside the spot, so the external outlines of each figure must be very expressive and recognizable.

Consider a series of silhouettes of famous poets and writers of Russia over the centuries. Boris Pasternak and Marina Tsvetaeva.

Silhouette as a form of fine art arose in ancient times in the 6th century. BC e. In Greece, a legend was born about how the daughter of the potter Dibutara saw the shadow of her lover on the wall and traced his profile with a dagger. Thanks to this design, her father invented the style of painting that decorates Greek vases.

The art of silhouette has been revived in France. This is where the name silhouette itself appeared. At the court of Louis XV, the chief controller of finances was Etienne Silhouette. The fact is that Silhouette carried out a number of reforms, in one of which he proposed to reduce the king’s personal expenses and the maintenance of the court. Naturally, the chief controller became the subject of general ridicule from high society, after which he was forced to resign. He had only one consolation left - to cut out his favorite pictures from black paper. There was even a caricature of him drawn in the form of a shadow profile. This is how the name silhouette was born. It has survived to this day.

In Russia at the end of the 18th – beginning of the 19th centuries. the silhouettes were also fashionable. Cutting silhouettes became a favorite pastime not only of professional artists, but also of the nobility. Black and white pictures were used as decoration in the houses of Russian nobles. Profile portraits and genre scenes were widely used. The image technique was different: either an ink drawing or a cutting from plain paper. In the first half of the 19th century. The greatest master of the silhouette was Count Fyodor Petrovich Tolstoy. The Hermitage houses 50 silhouettes of his work, the State Russian Museum has 20 silhouettes, and the same number is in the Historical Museum of Moscow.

Tingatinga painting appeared in Tanzania (Africa) in the 60s of the twentieth century. Now this direction is actively developing and is popular in the world. The first paintings were drawn on cardboard, and before that on the walls of houses. It must be said that the art of creating colorful drawings on walls still flourishes in Tanzania. And this has not only a decorative, but also a practical purpose - this is what outdoor advertising often looks like. Initially, all works were approximately 60x60 cm in size, which led to the fact that in some sources tingatinga is called “square painting”. To create the paintings, paints that were used to paint cars and bicycles were used - enamel. Later, artists tried to switch to other paints, but enamel and acrylic, sometimes with the addition of oil, are still favorite.

During the existence of the Tingatinga school, several styles were formed within it: - images of animals and birds that have become classic, - complex multi-figure compositions from the everyday life of people, often depicted in the form of a kind of “comic story”, - plots of traditional mythology, - biblical motifs. We can highlight the general features of Tingatinga painting: 1. Single-color background with a small number of shades. 2. The main motif is applied using simple and clear lines (silhouette) and, as a rule, occupies almost the entire background. 3. Lack of perspective. 4. The sweeping and repeating pattern of lines gives the image the character of a living, expressive ornament.

2) In fine art, this type of figures or objects in which their shape is perceived without clearly expressed volume or even looks completely flat (a solid spot on a dark or light background). Thus, a figure placed against the light acquires a silhouette. Silhouette is also called a type of graphics. The phenomenon of a silhouette can also arise in the process of perceiving three-dimensional forms, depending on the lighting. The silhouette is like the shadow of an object. The quality of silhouette is used by artists in all types of art.

In silhouette, figures or objects are usually drawn as a solid black spot on a light background or white on a dark background (ink or white). In such a drawing, the external outlines of the object should be very expressive, without unnecessary details. Portraits using the silhouette technique are usually taken in profile. Silhouettes are not only drawn, but also cut out with scissors.

The birthplace of silhouette art is China, where monochromatic black images, the so-called Chinese shadows, have existed for a long time. From there they penetrated Western Europe, primarily France, where in the mid-18th century the fashion for silhouette portraits became widespread. The very term “silhouette” comes from the name of Etienne Silouette (1709-1767), who was a minister of state in 1759. Silouette was known for his frugality and narrow-mindedness, which made him a target for the jokes of Parisian society. Everything cheap and trivial began to be named after him, including portraits painted with black paint or made of black paper.

Compared to real picturesque portraits, silhouettes seemed boring and meager to many. However, this art found its masters and admirers, and not only in France, but also in other countries. In Germany, for example, at the beginning of the 19th century, Duttenhofer (who portrayed a number of German writers and artists), K. Schmidt, Mühlbach and others were famous for their silhouettes. In Russia, interest in the silhouette arose in the era of Catherine II, when the Parisian silhouette artist Sido appeared in St. Petersburg, whose works are still preserved in some houses. At approximately the same time as Sido, the German draftsman Anting (1753-1803) worked in St. Petersburg.

In the middle of the 19th century, interest in silhouette art almost disappeared and cutting out silhouettes turned into the profession of itinerant artists, who earned a meager piece of bread through this activity at public festivities and fairs. People in the secular circle have lost interest in this art.

The gradually forgotten drawing of silhouettes was revived at the end of the last century by the talented German artist A. Konevka, who painted not only profile portraits in the form of silhouettes, but also figures in different poses, genre scenes, etc. Great skill is demonstrated by numerous silhouettes of E.S. Kruglikova, who cut them out of paper. The artist usually sketched the outline of a silhouette on the white side of a black sheet of paper and then worked with scissors, achieving amazing virtuosity in complex compositions that required careful consideration of perspective cuts. Kruglikova created a whole gallery of silhouettes of writers, artists, performers and musicians. Remarkable among the works of E.S. Kruglikova silhouettes by Alexander N. Benois, V.E. Meyerhold, Emil Cooper at the conductor's music stand, Grechaninov at the piano, and a number of “home scenes” (concert, etc.).

In 1917, the Moscow artist N.Ya. successfully performed as a silhouette painter. Simonovich-Efimova, who had previously worked (like Kruglikova) in the field of engraving. Simonovich also has large portrait canvases, in which the sharp, strong characterization of the figures is remarkable. This ability to accurately capture poses, manners, and movements was reflected in Simonovich’s silhouettes, which are distinguished by classical simplicity and technical consistency.

The incomparable “restorers” of antiquity - K. Somov, Alexander Benois and M. Dobuzhinsky - resurrected the former spirit of the silhouette. We often see silhouettes in the works of G. Narbut. The artist’s family silhouette, car silhouette, silhouettes of V. Zamirailo, Charlemagne, M. Zenkevich, Chambers, D. Mitrokhin and a number of small silhouettes in various decorative compositions indicate Narbut’s great passion for this type of art.

3) In literature, a genre that arose in Russian literary criticism of the impressionist direction. A classic example of the genre was “Silhouettes of Russian Writers” by Yu. Aikhenvald. The center of critical analysis in the silhouette is the writer, his inner, spiritual life.

Yu. Aikhenvald defined his method as “immanent,” that is, “when the researcher organically participates in an artistic creation and always remains inside and not outside it.” The starting point for the critic was the idea of ​​the irrational nature of talent, which in principle is not amenable to logical analysis.

A silhouette is more sketchy than a literary portrait, and is less independent in purpose. The main means of embodying the author’s artistic idea is language. The main element of the narrative in the silhouette is a generalized characteristic, the text is replete with epithets, nouns and adjectives are often used without verbs, because only the indication of the image is important. This style can be called impressionistic.

4) In the history of fashion, it is like a sketch plan of the form of clothing, its geometric prototype. In popular articles about fashion, it is used as a term that allows you to convey the main outlines of a particular type of clothing. There are different silhouettes: straight, rectangular, trapezoidal, and oval. In addition, some clarification is usually given about the extent to which the clothing fits the figure - a fitted silhouette, semi-fitting, etc.

Erich Hollerbach

Silhouette art

That is why silhouette art is full of unique charm and innumerable possibilities. This is eloquently evidenced by the works of contemporary artists who pay attention to the silhouette. Before moving on to their works, I will briefly touch on the history of the silhouette. The birthplace of silhouette art is China, where monochromatic black images, the so-called Chinese shadows, have existed for a long time. From there they penetrated into Western Europe, primarily France, where in the mid-18th century the fashion for silhouette portraits became widespread. The very term “silhouette” comes from the name of Etienne Silouette (1709-1767), who was minister of state in 1759. Silouette was known for his frugality and narrow-mindedness, which made him a target for the jokes of Parisian society. Everything cheap and trivial began to be named after him, including portraits painted in black paint or made of black paper, “portraits a la Silhouette.” Compared to real picturesque portraits, silhouettes seemed boring and meager to many. However, this art found its masters and admirers, and not only in France, but also in other countries. In Germany, for example, at the beginning of the 19th century, Duttenhofer (who portrayed a number of German writers and artists), K. Schmidt, Mühlbach, and others were famous for their silhouettes. In Russia, interest in silhouette arose in the era of Catherine II, when the Parisian silhouette artist Sido appeared in St. Petersburg , whose works are still preserved in some houses. Sido painted portraits of Catherine II, members of her family and many representatives of the St. Petersburg nobility. He drew his silhouettes in ink, sometimes engraved them on copper, but most often cut them out of black paper and pasted them into engraved frames. A whole collection of these silhouettes, consisting of 183 sheets, belonged to the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and was published in phototype photographs in 1899 (“The Court of Empress Catherine II, her employees and associates”). The passion for silhouettes was also reflected in applied art - porcelain snuff boxes with silhouettes, cups, embroidery, inlays, etc. appeared. At approximately the same time as Sido, the German draftsman Anting (1753-1803) worked in St. Petersburg and released the album “Collection de cent silhouettes” in 1791. In the middle of the 19th century, interest in silhouette art almost disappeared and cutting out silhouettes turned into the profession of itinerant artists, who earned a meager piece of bread through this activity at public festivities and fairs. People in the secular circle have lost interest in this art. The gradually forgotten drawing of silhouettes was revived at the end of the last century by the talented German artist A. Konevka, who painted in the form of silhouettes not only profile portraits, but also figures in various poses, genre scenes, etc. Konevka’s success provoked imitation. In Russia, the art of silhouette was practiced by the painter of scenes of children's and folk life, Elizaveta Bem. But great skill is revealed by the numerous silhouettes of E.S. Kruglikova, cutting them out of paper. The artist usually sketches the outline of a silhouette on the white side of a black sheet of paper and then works with scissors, achieving amazing virtuosity in complex compositions that require careful consideration of perspective cuts. Kruglikova created a whole gallery of silhouettes of writers, artists, performers and musicians.

Remarkable among the works of E.S. Kruglikova silhouettes by Alexander N. Benois, V.E. Meyerhold, Emil Cooper at the conductor's music stand, Grechaninov at the piano, and a number of "home scenes" (concert, etc.). In the same manner as silhouettes, i.e. made of black paper, the artist performs en face portraits (based on the drawings and engravings of Vallotton), as well as landscapes, architectural motifs, sometimes capturing various moments of city life, with its street hustle and bustle. In 1917, the Moscow artist N.Ya. successfully performed as a silhouette painter. Simonovich-Efimova, who had previously worked (like Kruglikova) in the field of engraving. Simonovich also has large portrait canvases, in which the sharp, strong characterization of the figures is remarkable. This ability to accurately capture poses, manners, and movements was reflected in Simonovich’s silhouettes, which are distinguished by classical simplicity and technical consistency. Kruglikova and Simonovich are, so to speak, professional silhouette artists. But in the work of our graphics, the silhouette plays an important role. "World of Art", which marked the beginning of the renewal of Russian graphics, revived, among other things, the art of silhouette. The incomparable "restorers" of antiquity - K. Somov, Alexander Benois and M. Dobuzhinsky - resurrected the former spirit of the silhouette. We often see silhouettes in the works of G. Narbut. The artist’s family silhouette, car silhouette, silhouettes of V. Zamirailo, Charlemagne, M. Zenkevich, Chambers, D. Mitrokhin and a number of small silhouettes in various decorative compositions indicate Narbut’s great passion for this type of art. The grace of the silhouette portrait also captivated S. Chekhonin, the best portrait miniaturist of our days. He executed several extremely successful silhouettes (including profiles of V. Lenin and G. Zinoviev) for the Comintern publishing house. Perhaps there is not a single large graphic artist that would not pay tribute to this intimate, graceful art: V.N. has silhouettes. Levitsky, D.I. Mitrokhina, V.D. It froze. We do not give here a detailed description of these works, because in the work of the listed artists the silhouette plays a subordinate, auxiliary role, and is one of the secondary elements of the graphic composition, which does not have a predominant meaning. But the silhouettes reproduced here convincingly show how much expression can be put into “sparse” black spots. October 1922 Original here --

The silhouette of a person walking or standing is seen by everyone every day. This little green man at the traffic light shows you when you can cross the road. Where did this word come to us from?

Origin of the word

Silhouette is translated from French as “outline, contour” (silhouette). This word has an interesting history. The concept of an outline has existed for a long time, but it was the “silhouette” that the shaded outline began to be called in France under Louis XV.

Count Etienne de Silhouette, who was then Minister of Finance, became known for his economy and extreme frugality. The fashion for suits responded immediately: pockets and snuff-box decorations disappeared, and the style as a whole became much simpler. They called it a silhouette. At the same time, one of the Seychelles islands also received the name Silhouette.

At this time, Chinese shadow art came to France. Fashion fads elevate him to the pinnacle of popularity. The portrait was completed within a few minutes, since there was no need to draw facial features. An outline was drawn, usually in profile, then filled in with ink. Sometimes two or three features were drawn with white paint in thin lines.

The joint stock company created by Etienne de Silhouette was quickly seized by panic over the delay in paying dividends. General discontent spread throughout all sectors of society, and the minister resigned from his post.

Apparently, it was a coincidence that the caricature that appeared of the minister was made in the genre of new Chinese technology. The minimum funds for its creation determined its name. It was dubbed the “silhouette”, just like the new style of clothing.

Cloth

Maybe this will make you smile, but clothes also have their own silhouette - these are its contours, which the fashion designer sketches on a piece of paper. Conventionally, it is customary to distinguish four types of modern silhouettes: straight (rectangular), oval, adjacent (fitted) and trapezoidal (or A-line).

There is a concept of “silhouette lines” in clothing tailoring. These are the parts of the pattern that form the outline. By skillfully using modeling and design, you can advantageously emphasize the advantages of a figure and carefully hide flaws.

The silhouette of clothing must be taken into account when depicting a person. Drawings by fashion designers are called “fashion sketch”, they have different body proportions.

Christian Dior's drawings from Figaro magazine are a clear confirmation of this. If in an academic drawing the head relates to the body as 1:8, then in the sketches of fashion designers it is 1:12. This provides an advantageous view of the model.

Man silhouette

Meanwhile, the art of silhouette spread beyond France and at the end of the 18th century in St. Petersburg it became fashionable to order a portrait from the famous master from Paris, Sideau. He created silhouettes of members of the reigning house and many courtiers.

Sido worked with pen and Chinese ink, engraved on copper, and cut out of black paper. His competitor was Fr. Anting. But soon the nobility got tired of the fun, and carving portraits became the craft of traveling artists. They were constantly met at fairs and the works of home-grown “artists” were not distinguished by their quality and good taste.

It seemed that this art died with the departure of the French school. But along comes Paul Konewka, the German maestro of this style. In his execution, the silhouette is no longer a profile portrait. Entire compositions, united by one theme, complex and sweet, delight the audience.

Russian artist Elizaveta Merkuryevna Bem was also famous for her silhouette works. Her illustrations for children's magazines were highly appreciated by I. Repin.

Paintings with hidden silhouettes

There are paintings where the silhouette of a human figure is hidden - a tree branch in the foreground turns into bushes and mountains in the distance. It turns out to be a girl. For the first time, paintings with “camouflaged silhouettes” depicted flowers, usually lilies, and the profiles of royalty were recognizable in the interweaving of lines.

Now there is such a direction in painting, surrealism, in which some kind of subtext is hidden in a seemingly ordinary landscape. The master of this embodiment is the Mexican artist Octavio Ocampo. His painting “Kiss of the Sea” depicts a seascape that hides 6 portraits.

A silhouette is an outline image, and everything beyond it can be anything. This is the principle of O. Ocampo. A seagull that hovers over the water seems to connect lovers.

Shadow play

Perhaps the most striking embodiment of the contour is used in shadow theater. The actors play behind the stage, with a screen stretched in front of them. There is a strong spotlight in the background, casting shadows. The advantage is that shadows can depict something that no amount of makeup can achieve.

You can create a home mini-theater from homemade figures using a table lamp. Any fabric will act as a screen, the main thing is to pull it tightly onto the stretcher. A wire is attached to the black figures to move them. This cannot be done with your hands, as they will create unnecessary shadows.

Try to make such a theater with the guys and get unforgettable moments of magic when a ray of light brings fairy tale characters to life. Or maybe this will become your hobby.

“THE MOST PLEASANT SHADOW” IN RUSSIA

L.L. RUDENKO

The origins of the art of silhouette take us back to ancient times...

The art of depicting black-figure contour scenes has come down to us on ancient vessels produced in Attica. Ancient artists (VI century BC) masterfully mastered expressive contour and stroke, creating complex multi-figure profile compositions.

With the invention of paper in Ancient China (105 AD), "Chinese shadows" appeared. From China along the Great Silk Road they penetrate into Western Europe, where public culture begins to master new art. But by the middle of the 18th century, the European life of the art of the “Chinese shadow” froze and experienced its Renaissance in France, where it received the name “silhouette”.

Russia's fascination with silhouette dates back to the second half of the 18th century. The honor of introducing Russians to the European silhouette belongs to Empress Catherine the Great, a German princess by origin, and to the French master F. G. Sido, who was rightly called the “artist of scissors.” He painted a portrait of Catherine the Great and presented her as a gift with her silhouette with the caption “The most pleasant shadow of Catherine II, Autocrat of All Russia.”

The master worked in St. Petersburg for only two years, from 1782 to 1784, and in such a short time he created about 200 portraits. An album of silhouettes by F. G. Sido “The Court of Empress Catherine II, her employees and associates” was published in St. Petersburg in Russia in 1899.

F. Sido. Silhouette portraits
on the left – “The Pleasant Shadow of Catherine II” (1729-1796)”
on the right is a portrait of Prince Potemkin-Tavrichesky (1739-1791)

F. Sido.
on the left – Emperor of Prussia Frederick the Great (1712-1786)
on the right is Pope Pius VI (1717-1799).

At approximately the same time as Sido, the German draftsman I.F. worked in St. Petersburg. Anting (1753-1803),
who released the album “Collection de cent silhouettes” in 1791.

I.F. Anting. Russian scientist Razumovsky S.Ya. (1734-1812),

In the first half of the 19th century, silhouette portraiture became one of the favorite artistic entertainments of the Russian nobility. The “silhouette” baton is picked up by the Russian master Fyodor Tolstoy (1783-1873), sculptor, medalist, draftsman and painter.

F. Tolstoy. Russian Tsar Alexander the First (1777-1825)

F. Tolstoy.
on the left – Soldier (1812-1820),
right – Man reading a book (37x35)

The best silhouettes of F. Tolstoy are dedicated to the Patriotic War of 1812. Of particular interest is the silhouette composition of F. Tolstoy “Parade of the Pavlovsk Regiment at the Monument to Suvorov” from the time of Emperor Nicholas I (1796-1855).

F. P. Tolstoy. Parade of the Pavlovsk Regiment at the monument to Suvorov
1816 – 1820s (Illustration: – 7x21cm.)
.

F. Tolstoy's silhouettes, depicting the everyday life of Russian life, attract attention due to the breadth and versatility of the artist's interests. Russian peasants in his works are worthy, strong, attractive people who evoke deep respect.

F. P. Tolstoy. Scene in the hut. 1816 – 1820s
(Illustration note – 8x21cm.)

In the middle of the 19th century, interest in silhouette art in Russia almost disappeared and cutting out silhouettes turned into the profession of traveling artists, who earned a meager piece of bread through this activity at public festivities and fairs. People in the secular circle have lost interest in this art.

In the second half of the 19th century, “the beautiful Diana” became F. Tolstoy’s successor. This is what contemporaries called E. Boehm (1843-1914). She created the genre of children's scenes - the whole world of childhood. Her best works are inspired by images of children.

E. M. Bem. Self-portrait.

E. Boehm. Silhouettes from the Lives of Children (1877).

A new period of silhouette revival begins at the end of the 19th century. in the work of the Russian artist K. Somov (1869-1939) - “he is a master of lines, he is a magician of lines” in the words of A. Benois.

K. Somov. Screensavers for the magazine “Golden Fleece”, 1906:
on the left “Kiss”; on the right is “Lady with a Dog.”

But the time of real revival of the art of silhouette was the beginning of the 20th century. Returning to the traditions of the past in order to understand the present was completely in the spirit of the ideas of the Silver Age. The 20th century brought new names: Nina Simonovich - Efimova (1878-1958), Georgy Narbut (1886-1920), Mikhail Dobuzhinsky (1875 - 1957) and Elizaveta Kruglikova (1865 - 1941).

N. Simonovich-Efimova. Sledging.

G.Narbut. Self-portrait with family.

G. Narbut. And Krylov (1769-1844), Russian fabulist.

The name of M. Dobuzhinsky, the greatest master of book graphics, in the history of Russian silhouette is associated with a whole series of “decorative” vignettes and endings for the magazine “Apollo”, distinguished by the decorativeness and whimsicality of the forms of the original pattern. Dobuzhinsky cares not so much about the expressiveness of the black spot as about the complex tortuosity of the contour lines, trying to tell as much as possible with them.

M. V. Dobuzhinsky. The ending. 1909

M. V. Dobuzhinsky. Madrigal. 1908.

Another major master of silhouette was E. Kruglikova. Her work was distinguished by the search for new modern means and forms of expression and developed in a realistic direction.

E. Kruglikova. Silhouette portraits of Russian poets of the Silver Age
On the left is B. Pasternak (1890-1960), on the right is K. Balmont (1867-1942)

E. Kruglikova. Silhouette portrait of a Russian poet
M. Voloshina (1877-1932).

E. Kruglikova. Silhouette portraits of the Russian poetess
A. Akhmatova (1889-1966)

E. Kruglikova. Group portrait of Russian artists E. Lansere, I. Repin and K. Petrov-Vodkin in the halls of an art exhibition.

Having been revived, the art of silhouette no longer died. It was widely used both as an independent genre and as an applied medium for illustrations.

N. Ilyin. Tsarskoye Selo. Russian poet Pushkin A.S. (1799-1837)

V. Helmersen. Ill. to the novel by A. Pushkin “Eugene Onegin”
(Illustration note – 7x7cm.)

The works of contemporary Russian artists of various generations show that the art of silhouette portraits is successfully developing.

Arina Daur (born 1982)

on the left is a self-portrait (12x17), on the right is a portrait of K.Kh. Andersen

Igor Babayants (born 1940).
Portrait of a mother.

Alexander Gusev (born 1953).