We are already accustomed to the fact that in the kindergarten of the senior group, after graduating from elementary school, and then further, after the 9th grade, our daughters and sons "fold" on vignettes. Colorful photo albums have been very popular for the last ten or twelve years. And this is understandable. Indeed, it is pleasant to pick up such memorabilia, not only are the pictures perfectly preserved in them, but also by themselves, skillfully and tastefully made, they resemble true works of art.
Etymology of the word
Let's first find out: vignette - what is it? Where did the word come from in our language and what does it mean? It was French in origin and first denoted a drawing that was placed in a manuscript or printed book for decoration. He could be in front of the text, on a specially designated page, or precede it, being located on the same sheet with him. Or make up the page frame. By the way, after all, the old Russian chronicles were necessarily decorated with various ornaments! But then they did not know, vignette - what it is. And the words of this in Old Russian did not even exist! Subsequently, with the development of printing, a wide variety of fiction and journalism, these drawings began to acquire a plot outline. Now they were placed in front of the text of the work as a screensaver or on the cover page. Sometimes, as conceived by the author or illustrator, the vignette (that this is a symbolic drawing - it’s already clear) served as the ending, helping to understand the meaning of the poem, story, article.
Image Features
Due to symbolism, abstractness, vignette images cannot be taken as illustrations for works. Their basis was taken, as a rule, mythical, fabulous, fantastic elements and plots. Sometimes images of a person or animal are included. Such drawings were supposed to make the book more colorful, attractive, to improve its design. This design was especially characteristic for volumes of poems. Such great Russian artists as Benoit, Shekhtel, Lansere worked in the vignette genre. They glorified this type of art, leaving amazing examples of craftsmanship and talent. Vignette reached its peak in the Rococo era. What did this give the genre? Pictures began to be drawn in the style of sea shells - with various curls, voluminous details, unusual, often artsy forms.
Vignette today
Over time, vignettes as pictures for framing the text went out of fashion, but found a “second life”, becoming an ornament of paintings of small shapes, as well as art photographs. In recent years, large-format albums have also come to be called this word, which have successfully replaced ordinary, boring kindergarten and school folders with pictures. Children's vignettes combine innovative design, colorful printing, various kinds of combined shooting, made in the now popular “3D” format. An individual portrait, group, using the techniques of "Photoshop" turn each page into a unique picture that harmoniously combines the realism of "nature" and the creative imagination of the embodiment of the plan. The hero of a photograph can, for example, stroke a lion or stand on top of a snowy mountain, and the picture will look “like a real one”. School vignette provides even greater scope for imagination. Years of study, friends, unusual situations, wishes of classmates - all this can be included in the contents of the album, and it will preserve a good memory of the most joyful and brightest time of our life.
Who will argue that a vignette is a wonderful invention ?!