silhouette

A silhouette is the image of an object seen in profile that presents only its outline filled with a solid color, typically black, against a lighter background. The interior is featureless, so recognition relies on contour and shape rather than detail.

The term derives from the French word for outline and is named after Étienne de Silhouette, a French official in the 18th century. Silhouette portraits were a popular, affordable alternative to painted por­traits and were created by cutting profiles from black paper or drawing them with ink on light backgrounds, producing recognizable profiles without internal detail.

Historically, silhouette portraits were widespread in Europe and North America during the 18th and 19th centuries. With the advent of photography, traditional silhouettes declined in popularity as a mass medium, but the silhouette motif persisted as a design and art form, continuing to appear in various media and commercial contexts.

In visual arts and design, the silhouette emphasizes shape over internal features. Artists may use cut-paper silhouettes, painted shapes, or digital silhouettes to explore form and negative space. Contemporary works often remix traditional silhouettes with varying edge treatments, colors, or textures.

In photography and film, silhouette imagery is produced by strong backlighting, rendering the subject as a dark outline against a bright background. This approach highlights contour and drama, relying on light and composition rather than surface detail.

In fashion and branding, silhouette denotes the overall outline or shape of a garment or figure, such as an A-line, hourglass, or column silhouette. Designers and marketers use this concept to convey style and silhouette-driven identity.