Chiaroscuro
Save your search and find it in your favorites
Saved search
Your search is accessible from the favorites tab > My favorite searches
Unsaved search
A problem occurred
Noir 01 “Black River”
Hengki Koentjoro
Photography - 43 x 43 x 0.02 cm Photography - 16.9 x 16.9 x 0 inch
£845
Lac des cygnes
Peter Zupnik
Photography - 30 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
£1,467
Fantasy is a necessary ingredient
Ruby Bat Arnon
Painting - 140 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 55.1 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
£8,894
Untitled (wall and mirror)
Mikael Siirilä
Photography - 22 x 15 cm Photography - 8.7 x 5.9 inch
£285
Long John Silver
Mathieu Lauffray
Painting - 65 x 50 x 1 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
£10,673
Corps en ligne
Dani Olivier
Photography - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
£1,601
Courbes entre-mêlées
Laurent Castellani
Photography - 100 x 70 x 0.01 cm Photography - 39.4 x 27.6 x 0 inch
£9,339
Metaphysical Body Landscape #1
Anna Laza
Photography - 30 x 103 cm Photography - 11.8 x 40.6 inch
£1,325
Nu reflet en piscine
Jacques Renoir
Photography - 60 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
£1,210
5th avenue, snow version
Christophe Jacrot
Photography - 70 x 105 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 41.3 x 0 inch
£2,846
Pink Morning
Christophe Jacrot
Photography - 60 x 90 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 35.4 x 0 inch
£2,401
Chapelle perdue
Christophe Jacrot
Photography - 60 x 90 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 35.4 x 0 inch
£2,401
Hôtel Belvédère
Christophe Jacrot
Photography - 60 x 90 x 0.5 cm Photography - 23.6 x 35.4 x 0.2 inch
£2,668
Underwater-15 (Melody)
Hengki Koentjoro
Photography - 43 x 43 x 0.02 cm Photography - 16.9 x 16.9 x 0 inch
£845
Le Mouton
Christophe Jacrot
Photography - 60 x 90 x 0.1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 35.4 x 0 inch
£2,401
La mini maison
Christophe Jacrot
Photography - 70 x 105 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 41.3 x 0 inch
£2,846
Free Play 06 (Vulnerable)
Hengki Koentjoro
Photography - 43 x 43 x 0.02 cm Photography - 16.9 x 16.9 x 0 inch
£845
Back to life, back to reality
Vasil Angelov
Print - 70 x 100 x 0.2 cm Print - 27.6 x 39.4 x 0.1 inch
£658
Trees and church (Bavaria)
Christophe Jacrot
Photography - 70 x 105 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 41.3 x 0 inch
£2,846
Flashlights
Christophe Jacrot
Photography - 70 x 105 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 41.3 x 0 inch
£2,846
Le Selfie
Christophe Jacrot
Photography - 70 x 105 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 41.3 x 0 inch
£2,846
5th Avenue
Christophe Jacrot
Photography - 70 x 105 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 41.3 x 0 inch
£2,846
West Broadway
Christophe Jacrot
Photography - 70 x 105 x 0.1 cm Photography - 27.6 x 41.3 x 0 inch
£2,846
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro is one of the foremost techniques to come out of the Renaissance. Derived from the Italian words “chiaro", meaning bright or light, and “oscuro", meaning obscure or dark, this technique refers to the use of strong contrasts between light and dark to achieve a sense of volume when depicting three-dimensional subjects. Its advent was a crucial artistic development, marking a new era of art in which painters could now begin to convey depth through slow gradation of light and shadow.
It is said that the technique was invented by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci, but other important artists who either developed or popularized the techniques include Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Vermeer and Goya. Invented in the 15th century, the technique quickly became common practice for all artists and by the late 17th century the term was frequently being used to describe any painting, drawing or print that used contrasting colors to create depth.
A century after its advent, Caravaggio developed the technique into something new which has been labelled “Caravaggesque" . This specifically refers to a harsher kind of chiaroscuro which uses a singular light source to create even sharper contrasts. Its usage in art will often result in darkness being the dominating feature of the painting, producing an extreme and dramatic effect. His cult of followers were given the name the “Caravaggisti", mimicking his style of intense tonal contrast, which artists like Ruby Bat Arnon and C.Leg continue to use today.