Chiaroscuro is a term used to describe the dramatic effect of contrasting areas of light and dark in an artwork, particularly paintings.
Although there is some evidence of the technique’s existence in ancient Greek and Roman works of art, Leonardo da Vinci brought out its full potential in the late 15th century, and from then onwards many artists have used the technique.
Leonardo da Vinci, Italian, 1452-1519
The Virgin of the Rocks is an example of da Vinci’s chiaroscuro technique. He made two versions of this painting within 15 years, one of which, 1483 – 85, is in the Louvre in Paris, and the other, 1508, is in the National Gallery in London, and I was very fortunate to see the two of them side by side in the National Gallery in the Leonardo da Vinci ‘The painter at the court of Milan’ Exhibition in 2011.
Both paintings were commissions, and they depict the Virgin Mary with the infant St John the Baptist adoring the Christ child accompanied by an angel. They are very similar, just a few differences in the composition, such as the hand of the angel pointing towards the infant St John in the Louvre version, and the halo on the head of St John in the London version. Personally I prefer the first version as I think the colour pallet is more natural, but both show his masterly use of chiaroscuro technique, with the figures sharply lit in dramatic contrast to the rocks in the background, the diffused light, and the use of a limited colour pallet which creates total unity in the paintings
Reference:
. https://www.britannica.com/art/chiaroscuro
. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/media/15705/exhibition-guide_leonardo-da-vinci.pdf
. Journal: Leonardo’s Colour and Chiaroscuro, John Shearman
Published by: Deutscher Kunstverlag GmbH Munchen Berlin
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1481484?read-now=1&seq=11#metadata_info_tab_contents
. Zollner F, Leonardo da Vinci: The complete painting, volume 1. Taschen,2011
Michelangelo Merigi da Caravaggio, Italy, 1571-1610
One of my favourites paintings in the National Gallery in London is The Supper of Emmaus, 1601, 141 x 196.2, oil and tempera on canvas.
This painting shows all the virtues of the artist: his sensational subjects and his dramatic use of the chiaroscuro technique to produce vivid contrasts of light and shade. We see the illuminated faces of the figures, the rich and vivid colours of the clothing, the objects on the table against dark backgrounds, the deeper shadows and his masterly foreshortening which all make the composition of the painting very dramatic and theatrical.
Echoes of Caravaggio’s influence are seen in works of artists as diverse as La Tour, Rembrandt and Velasquez. (Cumming, R, 2015, Art a visual history, DK Penguin Random House, UK)
Rembrandt, Dutch, 1606-1669
Titus the artist’s son – c.1657
This half-length portrait of Titus, his second son, is an example of Rembrandt’s use of chiaroscuro in portraiture; the earthy brown colours of the clothing, the light falling on the left side of his face, and the dark background make the portrait a quite atmospheric yet serene painting. The technique is very appealing to me and I would like to explore it for my own practice.
Ormiston, R, 2012 The life and work of Rembrandt,Anness Publishing.
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.79.html