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| Caravaggio's - The Taking of Christ (1602). Example of the use of the canonical technique of Chiaroscuro. The use of the technique has heightened the dramatic effect of this painting. |
The term Chiaroscuro can be characterised as the contrast between light and dark areas of a painting, which are usually bold contrasts that affect the entire composition. Often used to add drama and movement to a composition. Chiaroscuro is also often used as a technical term by artists and art historians to describe the use of contrasting light to achieve a sense of volume in modelling three-dimensional objects such as architectural features and the human body.