Art terms

Chiaroscuro

Salome receives the Head of John the Baptist
Image credit: The National Gallery, London

Salome receives the Head of John the Baptist 1607-10

Caravaggio (1571–1610)

The National Gallery, London

Italian term which means 'light-dark'. Emerging in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, chiaroscuro is a painting technique that produces exaggerated tonal contrasts between light and shade to create dramatic effects. It is especially associated with the artist Caravaggio, alongside Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt and Goya.

Find out more

Chiaroscuro on Oxford Art Online

What is chiaroscuro?

A conversation with Dr Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank and Dr Steven Zucker 

Video credit: Smarthistory

More art terms

Caravaggism
Renaissance
Baroque
Dutch Golden Age

Artists

  • The Supper at Emmaus
    Caravaggio (1571–1610)
  • The Virgin of the Rocks (The Virgin with the Infant Saint John adoring the Infant Christ accompanied by an Angel)
    Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519)
  • Belshazzar's Feast
    Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669)
  • Disparate de miedo
    Francisco de Goya (1746–1828)
  • Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria
    Artemisia Gentileschi (1593–1654 or after)
  • The Dice Players
    Georges de La Tour (1593–1652)
  • An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump
    Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797)
  • Self Portrait
    Godfried Schalcken (1643–1706)
  • Saint John the Baptist Revealing Christ to the Disciples
    Salvator Rosa (1615–1673)
  • The Guitar Player
    Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675)

Stories

Learning resources

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