chiaroscuro
noun
chiar·oscu·ro
kē-ˌär-ə-ˈskyu̇r-(ˌ)ō 
-ˈsku̇r-
plural chiaroscuros
1
: pictorial representation in terms of light and shade without regard to color
2
a
: the arrangement or treatment of light and dark parts in a pictorial work of art
The artist uses chiaroscuro to create the perception of depth in a two-dimensional work.
b
: the interplay or contrast of dissimilar qualities (as of mood or character)
3
: a 16th century woodcut technique involving the use of several blocks to print different tones of the same color
also
: a print made by this technique
4
: the interplay of light and shadow on or as if on a surface
a spotlight revealing a chiaroscuro of ridges and craters on a mountainside
5
: the quality of being veiled or partly in shadow
Examples of chiaroscuro in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Speaking of technique, individual techniques — sfumato, chiaroscuro and whatnot — are explained and accompanied by reenactments of active artisanal hands engaged in those particular processes.
—
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2024
In its 10-episode first season, Caped Crusader takes the foundational aspects of the genre — paranoia, conspiracy, and dramatic chiaroscuro visuals — and gives them a spin recognizable to Batman fans but not limiting to newbies.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2024
Renaissance painting techniques like one-point perspective and chiaroscuro light and dark contrasts, notably things that had been dismissed as passé by many nineteenth-century artists, were reconsidered by the Surrealists.
—Allison C. Meier, JSTOR Daily, 19 Sep. 2024
Many exhibit the rich sense of atmosphere, chiaroscuro lighting, and preoccupation with the dark side of human nature that would become so prevalent in the 1940s.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2024
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Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2024
In its 10-episode first season, Caped Crusader takes the foundational aspects of the genre — paranoia, conspiracy, and dramatic chiaroscuro visuals — and gives them a spin recognizable to Batman fans but not limiting to newbies.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2024
Renaissance painting techniques like one-point perspective and chiaroscuro light and dark contrasts, notably things that had been dismissed as passé by many nineteenth-century artists, were reconsidered by the Surrealists.
—Allison C. Meier, JSTOR Daily, 19 Sep. 2024
Many exhibit the rich sense of atmosphere, chiaroscuro lighting, and preoccupation with the dark side of human nature that would become so prevalent in the 1940s.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chiaroscuro
Dictionary Entries Near chiaroscuro
Cite this Entry
“Chiaroscuro.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chiaroscuro. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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