Sfumato Collection

Mona Lisa (oil on canvas)
WLT430767 Mona Lisa (oil on canvas) by Vinci, Leonardo da (1452-1519) (after); 100.3x81.9 cm; Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, USA; Acquired by Henry Walters, before 1909; Italian, out of copyright

The Virgin of the Rocks, 1601-1700. Creator: Leonardo da Vinci
The Virgin of the Rocks, 1601-1700

Detail of Mary Magdalene (oil on canvas)
489959 Detail of Mary Magdalene (oil on canvas) by Benson, Ambrosius (1495-1550); Groeningemuseum, Bruges, Belgium; © Art in Flanders

Young Girl Sleeping (oil on canvas)
3471504 Young Girl Sleeping (oil on canvas) by Reynolds, Joshua (1723-92); 76.4x63.4 cm; Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Ghent, Belgium; © Art in Flanders

Detail of Holy Family with Elisabeth and John the Baptist (oil on panel)
489961 Detail of Holy Family with Elisabeth and John the Baptist (oil on panel) by Cleve, Cornelis van (1520-67); Groeningemuseum, Bruges

Mary Magdalene (oil on canvas)
489958 Mary Magdalene (oil on canvas) by Benson, Ambrosius (1495-1550); 69.5x55.5 cm; Groeningemuseum, Bruges, Belgium; © Art in Flanders

Pope Leo X (black chalk on paper)
449304 Pope Leo X (black chalk on paper) by Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio of Urbino) (1483-1520); The Devonshire Collections, Chatsworth; (add.info.: Pope Leo X (11 December 1475 - 1 December 1521)

Caricature of a Man with Bushy Hair, c. 1495 (pen and brown ink)
5242266 Caricature of a Man with Bushy Hair, c.1495 (pen and brown ink) by Vinci, Leonardo da (1452-1519); 6.6x5.4 cm; J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, USA; Italian, out of copyright

Head of a Young Man, 1503 (metalpoint with pen & ink heightened with white on grey paper)
619086 Head of a Young Man, 1503 (metalpoint with pen & ink heightened with white on grey paper) by DAorer or Duerer, Albrecht (1471-1528); 22.3x18.1 cm; Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute

The head of a woman and the head of a baby (metal-point on grey prepared paper)
CTS366758 The head of a woman and the head of a baby (metal-point on grey prepared paper) by Vinci, Leonardo da (1452-1519) (follower of); 29.7x22 cm; eThe Devonshire Collections

On the Wings of the Morning, 1905 (w / c heightened with bodycolour & gold paint)
Ma322998 On the Wings of the Morning, 1905 (w/c heightened with bodycolour & gold paint) by Hughes, Edward Robert (1851-1914); 70x104 cm; Private Collection; Photo eThe Ms Gallery, London; English

Head of a Woman in Profile (red chalk on paper)
ALI152182 Head of a Woman in Profile (red chalk on paper) by Vinci, Leonardo da (1452-1519); Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Tuscany, Italy; (add.info.: see 152184; ); Alinari

The Madonna and Child with St. Mary Magdalene and a bishop
BI156638 The Madonna and Child with St. Mary Magdalene and a bishop (black chalk on joined sheets of grey paper mounted on vellum) by Ferrari

Bridget Sutton, 3rd Duchess of Rutland (oil on canvas)
465985 Bridget Sutton, 3rd Duchess of Rutland (oil on canvas) by Kneller, Godfrey (1646-1723); Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire, UK; (add.info.: Bridget Sutton)

Study for La Charite, c. 1878 (Oil on canvas)
476695 Study for La Charite, c.1878 (Oil on canvas) by Bouguereau, William-Adolphe (1825-1905); 46x38 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; French, out of copyright

The Damnation of Faust, 1888 (oil on canvas)
CH257835 The Damnation of Faust, 1888 (oil on canvas) by Fantin-Latour, Ignace Henri Jean (1836-1904); 96.5x63.5 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; French, out of copyright

Head Studies (coloured chalks on paper)
449366 Head Studies (coloured chalks on paper) by Quellinus, Artus I (1609-68) (attr. to); eThe Devonshire Collections, Chatsworth; Reproduced by permission of Chatsworth Settlement Trustees;

Two putti supporting a blank medallion (red chalk heightened with white on paper)
CTS380336 Two putti supporting a blank medallion (red chalk heightened with white on paper) by Correggio, (Antonio Allegri) (c.1489-1534); 20.6x13.8 cm; eThe Devonshire Collections

The Grand Dukes Madonna, c. 1504-05 (oil on panel)
885575 The Grand Dukes Madonna, c.1504-05 (oil on panel) by Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio of Urbino) (1483-1520); 84x55 cm; Palazzo Pitti, Florence

Study of the Head of a young Woman
2628751 Study of the Head of a young Woman, by Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio of Urbino) (1483-1520); 16.1x11.1 cm; Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, UK; eAshmolean Museum; Italian, out of copyright

Night with her Train of Stars, 1912 (w / c & gouache on paper)
BIR37692 Night with her Train of Stars, 1912 (w/c & gouache on paper) by Hughes, Edward Robert (1851-1914); 75.5x124.5 cm; Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery; English, out of copyright

Standing Woman, c. 1903 (oil on canvas)
3526182 Standing Woman, c.1903 (oil on canvas) by Henner, Jean-Jacques (1829-1905); 100.3x54.6 cm; Corcoran Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. USA; French, out of copyright

Youths head in profile, looking down (black chalk & charcoal on paper)
CTS413017 Youths head in profile, looking down (black chalk & charcoal on paper) by Garbieri, Lorenzo (Il Nipote) (1580-1654); 27.1x22.5 cm; eThe Devonshire Collections

Self portrait (chalk heightened with white on paper)
481734 Self portrait (chalk heightened with white on paper) by Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio of Urbino) (1483-1520); 38.1x26.1 cm; Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, UK; eAshmolean Museum; Italian

Madonna and Child with a Distaff, 1570s (oil on canvas transferred from panel)
BOO73047 Madonna and Child with a Distaff, 1570s (oil on canvas transferred from panel) by Morales, Luis de (1500-86); 71.5x52 cm; State Hermitage Museum, St

Head of a Woman (charcoal on paper)
ALI152190 Head of a Woman (charcoal on paper) by Vinci, Leonardo da (1452-1519); Gallerie dell Accademia, Venice, Italy; (add.info.: study for Saint Anne from The Virgin and Child with St)

Venus Reclining in a Landscape, c. 1508-09 (engraving)
3661028 Venus Reclining in a Landscape, c.1508-09 (engraving) by Campagnola, Giulio (1482-1515); 12x18.3 cm; Cleveland Museum of Art, OH, USA; (add.info.: Campagnola introduced stipple)

Madonna of the Rocks (detail of Saint John and the Angel), 1483-6 (oil on canvas)
XIR901323 Madonna of the Rocks (detail of Saint John and the Angel), 1483-6 (oil on canvas) by Vinci, Leonardo da (1452-1519); 199x122 cm; Louvre, Paris, France; (add.info.: La Vierge)

For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

"Sfumato: The Art of Blurred Beauty" Discover the enigmatic technique of sfumato, a term derived from Italian meaning "smoky" or "vanished in smoke. " This artistic method, famously employed by Leonardo da Vinci, revolutionized the world of painting. Through delicate brushstrokes and subtle blending, artists achieved an ethereal quality that captivated audiences for centuries. In the iconic masterpiece Mona Lisa, da Vinci's use is evident in her enigmatic smile and mysterious gaze. The soft transitions between light and shadow create a sense of depth and realism that has fascinated art enthusiasts for generations. Take a closer look at Detail of Mary Magdalene to witness how sfumato breathes life into oil on canvas. The gentle blurring around her features adds an air of melancholy to this religious figure, evoking empathy within viewers. Young Girl Sleeping showcases another example where sfumato enhances the subject's innocence and tranquility. With its dreamlike atmosphere created through blurred contours, this painting invites us into a serene slumber. Detail of Holy Family with Elisabeth and John the Baptist demonstrates how they are be applied to panel paintings as well. By softly merging colors together, artists achieve a seamless transition between figures, creating harmony within sacred scenes. Mary Magdalene appears once again as she emerges from darkness in yet another mesmerizing portrayal. Sfumato allows for emotional depth as shadows envelop her face while light gently illuminates her expression – capturing both vulnerability and strength simultaneously. Stunningly executed in oil & tempera on canvas, St. Agatha transports us back to 17th-century Italy with its masterful application techniques. Each stroke contributes to the overall atmospheric effect that surrounds this saintly figure. Even sketches benefit from sfumato's allure; Pope Leo X comes alive through black chalk on paper with his features subtly fading into one another.