aerial perspective (atmospheric perspective)
A term applied to (i) the atmospheric effect whereby distant landscape features look more hazy and bluish than near ones, and (ii) the imitation of this effect in painting. Dust and moisture particles in the atmosphere cause some scattering of light as it passes through it, the amount of scattering depending on the wavelength (hence colour) of the light. Short wavelength (blue) light is scattered most and long wavelength (red) is scattered least. This is the reason why the sky is blue and why distant dark objects appear to lie behind a veil of blue. The term ‘aerial perspective’ (... ...
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