Big Book of Silhouettes (Dover Pictorial Archive)

An ancient art form dating back to cave paintings in the Paleolithic age, silhouettes were extremely popular during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when they served as an inexpensive form of portraiture, capturing the essence of the subject with a minimum of detail.
Now today's crafters, designers, artists, and illustrators can take advantage of the silhouette's eye-catching power with this splendid sourcebook, meticulously compiled by Carol Belanger Grafton. Included are over 1,700 charming, royalty-free silhouettes — culled from a number of rare sources — ideal for use in a broad range of graphic projects. Posters, signage, magazine and book illustration, advertisements, brochures, and flyers are just a few of the potential uses for the illustrations in this convenient archive.
Choose from a wide array of subjects: animals portrayed in assorted poses, children playing and reading, couples embracing, views of the human profile, people working, painting, biking, and playing musical instruments; and many more. All appear in striking forms that emphasize the silhouette's power to make a simple but bold graphic statement.