What stands in front and is attended to. The foreground is only legible because of what lies behind it.
English foreground, formed in the 17th century as a calque of Dutch voorgrond — voor (before, in front) and grond (ground); what stands nearest and is attended to, legible only against what lies behind.
What stands in front and draws the eye: legible only because of the ground that lies behind it, unattended.