While Gioconda’s palms do not hold any iconographic detail, the way she folds and rests them can betray character traits. They can – but don’t, as what we see matches exactly her countenance – a serene, restrained cross that withholds more than it shows. Resulting is a harmonious psychological continuity that, along with the landscape, creates a consummate vision that remains largely impenetrable, however compositionally consistent.
Sfumato
Sfumato, a technique invented by Leonardo da Vinci, involves painting a gradation of shadows to create a subtle haze (akin to the English “fume” etymologically, sfumato means “smoky”) over the relevant area, usually where various contours and lines intersect and merge. This softens the linear component and yields a more gradual, painterly effect, sometimes exceptionally subtle and delicate. The technique is somewhat similar to the blurring effect in modern image manipulation software.
In the overall scheme the use of sfumato produces a complex local interplay of light and shadow. It is a very dynamic visual device that can be especially effective in a portrait – an essentially static image. Sometimes, perhaps just like in the software, it can be overused, and establish an incompatibility between the light source and the sheer amount and richness of the shadows.
In the overall scheme the use of sfumato produces a complex local interplay of light and shadow. It is a very dynamic visual device that can be especially effective in a portrait – an essentially static image. Sometimes, perhaps just like in the software, it can be overused, and establish an incompatibility between the light source and the sheer amount and richness of the shadows.