On The Dramatic Light And Shadow In Caravaggio 's Paintings

Caravaggio was a renowned artist of Italian Baroque style. His chiaroscuro technique significantly impacted the artist development at the time, which became known as the Baroque style. The passionate contrast between light and dark in his works mirrored the dramatic ups-downs of his legendary life. Coupling theatrical lighting with realistic rendering of the characters, Caravaggio excelled not only in the technical sense, but as a master storyteller, endowed in his subjects the raw emotions that bring the paints to life. Being a devout Christian, Caravaggio reenacted many Biblical scenes in his works. In this article, six masterpieces were selected, to demonstrate how the chiaroscuro technique heightens the dramatic storytelling in Caravaggio’s paintings.