Emphasis

Any forcefulness that gives importance or dominance (weight) to some feature or features of an artwork; something singled out, stressed, or drawn attention to by means of contrast, anomaly, or counterpoint for aesthetic impact. A way of combining elements to stress the differences between those elements and to create one or more centers of interest in a work. Often, emphasized elements are used to direct and focus attention on the most important parts of a composition ? its focal point. Emphasis is one of the principles of design. A design lacking emphasis may result in monotony.Emphasis originated in the root of the Greek word emphainein, to exhibit or display.Examples:Gustav Klimt (Austrian, 1862-1918), Serena Lederer (died 1943), 1899, oil on canvas, 75 1/8 x 33 5/8 inches (190.8 x 85.4 cm), Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. The head in this portrait is emphsized by contrasting its dark features to the whiteness everywhere else. See Austrian art, portrait, and secession.