Foreshortened

/ˌfɔːrˈʃɔːr.tənd/ adjective

Definition

Made to appear shorter or compressed; depicted or rendered with foreshortening in art or visual representation.

Etymology

The past participle of 'foreshorten', used as an adjective to describe objects that have been depicted using foreshortening techniques. This form has been standard in art terminology since the Renaissance.

Kelly Says

Leonardo da Vinci's 'Last Supper' is full of foreshortened figures, and if you look at the disciples' hands and arms pointing toward you, they look almost cartoonishly stubby compared to their bodies—but that's mathematically correct for perspective, which is why da Vinci was a genius!

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