Which term best describes a silhouette produced from a sitter's profile?

Which term best describes a silhouette produced from a sitter's profile?

• A. Pediment
• B. Porcelain
• C. Physiognotrace
• D. Positive

Answer: (C)

Physiognotrace refers to a drawing method and the resulting silhouette created from tracing a sitter’s profile. The device captures the exact contour of the head, producing a clean outline that can be filled in to make a solid, dark profile silhouette. This practice was popular in the 18th century as an affordable way to make likenesses before photography, and the outline could be easily duplicated or cut from paper. The other terms don’t fit because they describe something unrelated to portrait-making: a pediment is architectural, porcelain is a material, and positive is a photography term for a type of image.

Physiognotrace refers to a drawing method and the resulting silhouette created from tracing a sitter’s profile. The device captures the exact contour of the head, producing a clean outline that can be filled in to make a solid, dark profile silhouette. This practice was popular in the 18th century as an affordable way to make likenesses before photography, and the outline could be easily duplicated or cut from paper. The other terms don’t fit because they describe something unrelated to portrait-making: a pediment is architectural, porcelain is a material, and positive is a photography term for a type of image.