mellemgrund

Mellemgrund is a term used in visual arts and photography to describe the middle portion of a scene, positioned between the foreground (nærgrund) and the background (baggrund). The middle ground typically contains elements that are not immediately beside the viewer nor farthest away, and it helps establish depth, scale, and spatial coherence. By occupying this space, objects in the mellemgrund bridge the immediacy of the foreground with the atmospheric qualities of the background.

In painting, photography, and film, the middle ground often holds mid-sized figures, structures, or terrain features that act as a transition. It typically carries less detail than the foreground but more than the background, and it uses tonal values and color to link the two planes. Techniques such as overlap, perspective, and atmospheric effects help to define the middle ground and enhance the sense of depth.

In Danish art discourse the term is standard for composition analysis and is used in education and criticism. It is also used in English-language art discourse as "middle ground" or "mid-ground," with the Danish term often preferred in Nordic contexts. Related terms are nærgrund for foreground and baggrund for background.