noun

• 1The treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting.

  ‘The brusque application of plaster disrupts the logic of the painting's chiaroscuro.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Each vignette, usually showing one or two figures, is a little anthology of effects, combining contour drawing, crosshatching, chiaroscuro, graphic boldness and delicate detailing.’
  • ‘Then he saw the light - in the form of Caravaggio's dramatic chiaroscuro - and became one of that master's most resourceful followers.’
  • ‘The image's effect lies in its extraordinary brilliance of colour, and chiaroscuro; with an imaginative concept and a contemporary feeling forcefully united.’
  • ‘Partly because of his interest in chiaroscuro, Leonardo was not very interested in color.’

  1. 1.1An effect of contrasted light and shadow.
     ‘the chiaroscuro of cobbled streets’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Inhabiting these buildings are the depth, the reflections, the veils, the chiaroscuros, and an attenuated clarity that are created by the shade.’
     • ‘The column screens and niches around the room create a mysterious and alluring chiaroscuro effect.’
     • ‘I also distrust the general air onstage of High Significance, which owes far too much to the handsome chiaroscuro of the lighting and the future-chic costumes.’