Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro, in art, the distribution and contrast of light and shade in a painting or drawing, whether in monochrome or in color. The term is derived from the Italian chiaro (“light”) and oscuro (“dark”) and generally refers to a technique that contrasts bright illumination with areas of dense shadow. The skillful use of light and shade (sometimes called values) for dramatic effect is a particular feature in the works of such 16th-century Renaissance masters as Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael and such 17th-century baroque masters as Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Georges de La Tour. Chiaroscuro is seldom found in pre-Renaissance or in non-Western art.