Chiaroscurois an Italian word that literally means "light-dark." The Artist's Magazine states that it "refers to the technique of using strong value shifts--from very light to black--to create the illusion of three dimensions. Chiaroscuro is typically used" in painting, drawing, and even sculpture "to produce an overall feeling of drama...." It is "often characterized by a single, focused light source illuminating an otherwise dark scene (1)." Techniques include:

This creates mystery and envelops the subject with darkness. The light source could be a "small window" or a "single...(light) bulb in a reflector to create a spotlight effect (3)." The concentration should be on the extreme values first, and then on the middle values which will actually model the form. The dark values should be "flat and simple" and allow the "edges of the shapes to merge (4)."

Chiaroscuro has been used throughout history as artists continue to "find inspiration, both for subject matter and for formal elements, in the art of the past (5)." The Church had a great amount of influence during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, but the economic growth of the late Fourteenth century "gave rise to a prosperous middle class (6)" in what are now Belgium, France, and Italy. This group revived the idealism of the Greco-Roman era. This rebirth, or Renaissance, gave rise to important concepts such as humanism and classicism, which in turn spurred artists to develop new ways of producing their art. This discussion will be directed at four well-known artists who used chiaroscuro to convey emotion and create "the illusion of high relief by modeling...figures (7)" in this method. Please click on the icons at the left to study a particular artist.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519) was a "universal man." He was not trained as a painter, but studied sculpture under Verrochio and taught himself Latin. He was also an inventor, a botanist, and an illustrator. He attended over thirty human autopsies and kept extensive notebooks about his findings and feelings.

Tiziano Vecelli, better known as Titian (1478? - 1576), was well-known as an artist in Venice as well as throughout Europe. He had enhanced "the social status of his profession (8)" according to Giorgio Vasari. He worked mainly in Venice, with a few short visits to other parts of Italy and Germany (9). As an apprentice, he worked with Gentile and Giovanni Bellini, "then transferred his allegiance to...Giorgione, whose style he rapidly assimilated (10)." He adopted Giorgione's method of dispensing with cartoons, and instead composed his paintings with much pentimente.

Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio (1573 - 1610) after the place of his birth, exemplified Baroque classicism (11). His works progressed from still lifes and "low-life scenes (12)" to religious subjects. Even though his personal life was troubled, he was held in great esteem as an artist. Caravaggio's "naturalism and lighting influenced nearly every important European artist of the seventeenth century (13)." Eventually his name became synonymous with "the use of strong chiaroscuro and raking light...(14)."

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606 - 1669) was one of the most important painters working in the seventeenth century. After apprenticing briefly with Pieter Lastman, he worked in the studio of art dealer Hendrick Van Uylenburgh (15). His repertoire included religious, mythological, landscape, and figure paintings; but "his primary source of income was portraiture (16)." Rembrandt eventually had his own workshop with many pupils, who imitated his manner. This made it difficult to "define his body of work, and many paintings formerly attributed to him have recently been assigned to other artists (17)."

These artists used the "art" of value to their advantage, creating many masterpieces which are still well-known. Chiaroscuro is relevant today because there are many other artists who use this method of modeling in light and dark values in their artwork. The Internet is a valuable tool in researching artists and their artwork. Please check the source list to access links to art history websites.

The images used in this site may not be used for commercial purposes. This web page was constructed for FAH 282, Survey of Renaissance-Rococo Art, Fall 1998, Professor Kathy Andrus-Walck, assignment number 3. Please use the Glossary to view definitions of unfamiliar words, which are italicized in the text.

© Annette Milligan 1998

Go Home