vignette

nouns

a brief literary description
a photograph whose edges shade off gradually
is a type of (narrower)
a representation of a person or scene in the form of a print or transparent slide; recorded by a camera on light-sensitive material
a small illustrative sketch (as sometimes placed at the beginning of chapters in books)
is a type of (narrower)
preliminary drawing for later elaboration
"he made several studies before starting to paint"