Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
HISTORY
strong chiaroscuro in the more common sense, in the contrast between the well-lit model and the very dark background of foliage. To further complicate matters, however, the compositional chiaroscuro of the contrast between model and background probably would not be described using this term, as the two elements are almost
completely separated. The term is mostly used to describe compositions where at least some principal elements of the main composition show the transition between light and dark, as in the Baglioni and Geertgen tot
Sint Jans paintings illustrated above and below.
1.5
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 re on the hill behind, and the
angel who appears to them.
fects since the results were not for public display. The development of compositional chiaroscuro received a considerable impetus in northern Europe from the vision of
the Nativity of Jesus of Saint Bridget of Sweden, a very
popular mystic. She described the infant Jesus as emitting
light; depictions increasingly reduced other light sources
in the scene to emphasize this eect, and the Nativity remained very commonly treated with chiaroscuro through
to the Baroque. Hugo van der Goes and his followers
painted many scenes lit only by candle or the divine light
from the infant Christ. As with some later painters, in
their hands the eect was of stillness and calm rather
than the drama with which it would be used during the
Baroque.
5
Another study by Leonardo, where the linear makeup of the shading is easily seen in reproduction
Chiaroscuro as a major element in composition: painting
Allegory, Boy Lighting Candle in Company of Ape
and Fool by El Greco
Annunciation by Domenico Beccafumi
Crucixion of St. Peter by Caravaggio
The Flight to Egypt by Adam Elsheimer
Still from Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, some of which was
shot using only candlelight
Eisenstein).
Gallery
See also
Cangiante
Sfumato
Tenebrism
Notes
References
David Landau & Peter Parshall, The Renaissance
Print, pp. 179202; 273-81 & passim; Yale, 1996,
ISBN 0-300-06883-2
EXTERNAL LINKS
8 External links
Chiaroscuro Woodcut from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Timeline of Art History
Chiaroscuro woodcut from Spencer Museum of Art,
Kansas
(Modelling) chiaroscuro from Evansville University
9.1
Text
9.2
Images
File:Baglione.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Baglione.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Web Gallery of Art: <a href='http://www.wga.hu/art/b/baglione/sacred2.jpg' data-x-rel='nofollow'><img alt='Inkscape.svg'
src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Inkscape.svg/20px-Inkscape.svg.png'
width='20'
height='20'
srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Inkscape.svg/30px-Inkscape.svg.png
1.5x,
https://upload.
wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Inkscape.svg/40px-Inkscape.svg.png 2x' data-le-width='60' data-le-height='60'
/></a> Image <a href='http://www.wga.hu/html/b/baglione/sacred2.html' data-x-rel='nofollow'><img alt='Information icon.svg'
src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/20px-Information_icon.svg.png' width='20'
height='20' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/30px-Information_icon.svg.png
1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/40px-Information_icon.svg.png 2x' data-lewidth='620' data-le-height='620' /></a> Info about artwork Original artist: Giovanni Baglione
File:Barry12.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/80/Barry12.jpg License: Fair use Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Geertgen_tot_Sint_Jans,_The_Nativity_at_Night,_c_1490.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/
Geertgen_tot_Sint_Jans%2C_The_Nativity_at_Night%2C_c_1490.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: National Gallery Original
artist: Geertgen tot Sint Jans (circa 1460-circa 1488)
File:Gerrit_van_Honthorst_-_De_koppelaarster.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Gerrit_van_
Honthorst_-_De_koppelaarster.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Unknown Original artist: Gerard van Honthorst
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Rubens_-_De_kruisoprichting.JPG License: Public domain Contributors: Ophelia2 Original artist: Peter Paul Rubens
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Contributors:
Created from scratch in Adobe Illustrator. Based on Image:Question book.png created by User:Equazcion Original artist:
Tkgd2007
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9.3
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