Chiaroscuro

Giovanni Baglione. Sacred and Profane Love. 1602–1603, showing dramatic compositional chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro in art is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark.

This is usually done to make the composition a lot more dramatic. It is also a technical term used by art historians and artists for the contrast of light. It gives a sense of volume when modelling three-dimensional (or 3D) figures. Similar effects used in photography and cinematography are also called chiaroscuro.

The word comes from Italian, from the words "chiaro" (clear) + "oscuro" (dark). The word was first known to be used in the 1680s.

Chiaroscuro Media

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  Chiaroscuro woodcut of the Virgin and Child by Bartolommeo Coriolano, created between 1630 and 1655 (digitally restored)

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  Nativity at Night by Geertgen tot Sint Jans, c. 1490, after a composition by Hugo van der Goes of c. 1470; sources of light are the infant Jesus, the shepherds' fire on the hill behind, and the angel who appears to them.

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  The Matchmaker by Gerrit van Honthorst, 1625

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  Joseph Wright of Derby painted several large groups with strong chiaroscuro, such as A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery, 1766.