Homestyle: Silhouettes enjoying a high profile once again

My flirtation with silhouettes began at my grade-school carnival, where a volunteer traced kids' profiles on black construction paper for our moms to proudly display on the refrigerator. I've been in love with these whimsical, quirky pieces of art ever since.

Silhouettes have been capturing people's hearts and imaginations for centuries, ever since they first made the scene in 17th-century France, where they were reputedly the result of an arts-and-crafts project of France's unpopular minister of finance, Etienne de Silhouette. The story goes that when Silhouette, a known cheapskate, retired from office, he was too tight to buy art for his farmhouse, so instead, he decorated his home with paper cuttings he made himself.

The French began to call these intricate images "silhouettes" to slam the unpopular minister of finance. But before long, everyone was in love with silhouettes, and they became wildly popular in Europe and the United States, with commoners and gentry alike clamoring to have their profiles snipped from black paper.

Today, silhouettes are all the rage once again. And you'll spot these high-profile images gracing everything from pillows to tableware, clocks and stationery. You can find wonderful silhouettes at antique stores or even flea markets. Or you can purchase reproductions, which are often every bit as delightful as the originals, at home-furnishings stores.

While all sorts of silhouettes draw me in, my favorites are those that feature children playing because they seem to capture the innocence and wonder of childhood. I also enjoy those that depict daily life, like the one my mother-in-law passed down to me that shows a butler and maid talking to each other over the kitchen table, probably commiserating about the trials and tribulations of serving the nobility.

If you haven't yet had your heart stolen by silhouettes, consider joining those of us who are thoroughly smitten by these unusual works of art. You're sure to find dozens of spots in your home where a silhouette can add charm to your decor.

For a dramatic look, pool a number of silhouettes together in a large grouping. A friend of mine who began acquiring silhouettes when she was 15 has hung her extensive collection in her bathroom, creating a dazzling wallpaper effect. You can hardly look away because they are so intriguing.

Silhouettes also look marvelous mixed in with a montage of different types of artwork. I'm especially fond of hanging them alongside beautiful plates or platters. They are also ideal for filling in gaps in arrangements of larger landscapes or architectural drawings because their small size and simple content breaks up the expanse of canvases.