Demifigure

/ˌdɛmɪˈfɪɡjər/ noun

Definition

In art and sculpture, a figure or portrait shown only from the waist upward; a half-length representation.

Etymology

From demi- (half) + figure (a human form or representation). An artistic term describing a specific compositional choice in painting and sculpture.

Kelly Says

Portrait painters loved demifigures because they could suggest elegance without showing messy feet and legs—Renaissance painters discovered you could imply a full body while focusing on the face and hands, which is where emotion lives.

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