Although some of the beads
Although some of the beads had fallen off, the painting possessed a subtle but charming beauty.
A silhouette was made by making a person sit between a paper tacked to a wall and a strong light. When the sitter?s shadow was cast on the paper, the artist traced it. Then, he cut it out and glued it on a board.
The history of silhouettes is a long one that dates all the way back to old Chinese dynasties. After the Renaissance, silhouette making found some fame in Europe, and during the 18th century, it became a widespread hobby when a French artist, Chr?tien, invented a tracing and cutting machine. In the United States the first silhouettes surfaced during the last years of the 18th century and they were called ?shades.? Alongside the figures of society, several shades were made of George and Martha Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Aaron Burr and other notables.
During the next few decades, other methods of making silhouettes developed. One was to cut the outer layer of paper instead of the silhouette and to back it with a dark cloth or gold foil background.
orchids
