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View synonyms for

chiaroscuro

[kee-ahr-uh-skyoor-oh]

noun

plural

chiaroscuros 
  1. the distribution of light and shade in a picture.

  2. Painting.the use of deep variations in and subtle gradations of light and shade, especially to enhance the delineation of character and for general dramatic effect.

    Rembrandt is a master of chiaroscuro.

  3. a woodcut print in which the colors are produced by the use of different blocks with different colors.

  4. a sketch in light and shade.



chiaroscuro

/ ɪˌɑːəˈʊəəʊ /

noun

  1. the artistic distribution of light and dark masses in a picture

  2. monochrome painting using light and dark only, as in grisaille

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • ˌˈܰ noun
  • ˌˈܰ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of chiaroscuro1

1680–90; < Italian, equivalent to chiaro bright (< Latin ܲ ) + oscuro dark (< Latin Dzūܲ ). See clear, obscure
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Word History and Origins

Origin of chiaroscuro1

C17: from Italian, from chiaro clear + oscuro obscure
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Epic entertainment chiaroscuros are often dull and unrealistic, hence the push in recent decades to test and reshape our definition of virtue.

From

Like her day-to-day life, it is a work of chiaroscuro, a portrait of extremes: roses and guns.

From

In both men’s work, chiaroscuro laughs come hand in hand with personal catastrophe.

From

The dramatic scenes are shot in chiaroscuro and in warm, expressive light so the character is always the focal point of lighting and photography.

From

A vase of flowers divided into light and dark illustrates the chiaroscuro quality of human nature.

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