dark outlines or shapes of people or objects seen against light; the dark shadow profile of something.
Named after Étienne de Silhouette, an 18th-century French politician and art enthusiast. The term became common for shadow portraits, possibly mockingly, though the exact connection is debated.
Silhouettes became a major art form in the 1700s when they were cheaper than painted portraits—and they're still used today in graphic design because the human brain recognizes people from just their outline!
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