Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro, a word used in painting and engraving to express the combined effect of "lights and shadows, i.e. the diffusion of light in shade and the softening effect, of shade upon light, such an arrangement as best imitates the effect of the lights and shades in nature. The most successful handlers of chiaroscuro among painters are Titian, Correggio, Rubens, and Rembrandt. The Experiment by Wright in the National Gallery is an interesting example of it.