Chiaroscuro Collection (page 8)

Two Geisha Girls, 1894 (oil on canvas)
995620 Two Geisha Girls, 1894 (oil on canvas) by Hornel, Edward Atkinson (1864-1933); The Hunterian, University of Glasgow, Scotland; eHunterian Museum & Art Gallery; Scottish, out of copyright

The Martyrdom of St. Matthew, detail, 1599-1600 (oil on canvas)
BEN107254 The Martyrdom of St. Matthew, detail, 1599-1600 (oil on canvas) by Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi da (1571-1610); San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome, Italy; Photo eRaffaello Bencini; Italian

Portrait of the Mennonite Preacher, Cornelius Claesz Anslo and his wife
1272610 Portrait of the Mennonite Preacher, Cornelius Claesz Anslo and his wife, Aaltje Gerritsdr Shouten, 1641 (oil on canvas) by Rembrandt Harmensz

Portrait of Monsieur Nicolle, 1862 (oil on canvas)
1275482 Portrait of Monsieur Nicolle, 1862 (oil on canvas) by Courbet, Gustave (1819-77); 60x49 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; French, out of copyright

Saint Paul (oil on canvas)
CH438718 Saint Paul (oil on canvas) by Parrocel, Etienne (Le Romain) (1696-1775); 64.1x48.6 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; French, out of copyright

The Lamentation (oil on slate)
CH438372 The Lamentation (oil on slate) by Farinati, Orazio (1559-after 1616); 33x27.9 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; Italian, out of copyright

The infant St. John the Baptist (oil on panel)
CH441563 The infant St. John the Baptist (oil on panel) by Vinci, Leonardo da (1452-1519) (manner of); 73x52.7 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; Italian, out of copyright

Venus and Cupid (oil on panel)
3061950 Venus and Cupid (oil on panel) by Valckert, Werner Jacobsz van den (1585-1627); 101.4x75.6 cm; Private Collection; Photo eChristies Images; Dutch, out of copyright

Poker, 1896 (woodcut)
715066 Poker, 1896 (woodcut) by Vallotton, Felix Edouard (1865-1925); 17.8x22.2 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Le Poker); Photo eChristies Images; Swiss, out of copyright

Gal. 48, c. 29b, folio from Sidereus Nuncius, 1610 (pen & ink on paper)
3928777 Gal. 48, c. 29b, folio from Sidereus Nuncius, 1610 (pen & ink on paper) by Galilei, Galileo (1564-1642); 19x12.7 cm; Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Florence

Old Man Holding a Candle and a Glass (oil on canvas)
3932151 Old Man Holding a Candle and a Glass (oil on canvas) by Coster, Adam de (c.1586-1643); 85.5x63.5 cm; National Museum, Stockholm

Card Players, 1815 (oil on canvas)
3930907 Card Players, 1815 (oil on canvas) by Laureus, Alexander (1783-1823); 53.5x75 cm; National Museum, Stockholm, Sweden; Finnish, out of copyright

The Virgin in Prayer, 1640-50 (oil on canvas)
3700771 The Virgin in Prayer, 1640-50 (oil on canvas) by Sassoferrato, Il (Giovanni Battista Salvi) (1609-85); 73x57.7 cm; National Gallery, London, UK; Italian, out of copyright

Saint Andrew, 1635-40 (oil on canvas)
3552369 Saint Andrew, 1635-40 (oil on canvas) by Zurbaran, Francisco de (1598-1664); Museum of Fine Arts (Szepmuveszeti) Budapest, Hungary; UIG; Spanish, out of copyright

Under the Lamp, c. 1882 (soft ground etching & aquatint in black on cream wove paper)
3676629 Under the Lamp, c.1882 (soft ground etching & aquatint in black on cream wove paper) by Cassatt, Mary Stevenson (1844-1926); 23.7x32.1 cm; The Art Institute of Chicago, IL, USA; Albert H

An Elderly Man in Prayer, 1660-65 (oil on canvas)
5672977 An Elderly Man in Prayer, 1660-65 (oil on canvas) by Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, (1606-69) (follower of); 87.3 x 72 cm; Cleveland Museum of Art, OH

Saint Jerome, 1646 (oil on canvas)
5614472 Saint Jerome, 1646 (oil on canvas) by Ribera, Jusepe de (lo Spagnoletto) (1591-1652); 146X198 cm; Narodni Galerie, Prague

Girl Reading, c. 1660 (oil on panel)
5863936 Girl Reading, c.1660 (oil on panel) by Hals, Nicolaes (1628-68); 30.8x24 cm; Mauritshuis, The Hague, The Netherlands; Dutch, out of copyright

A woman sewing (oil on canvas)
621556 A woman sewing (oil on canvas) by Sweerts, Michael (1618-64) (attr. to); 41.2x32.7 cm; eThe Devonshire Collections

St John the Baptist, 1602 (oil on canvas)
703211 St John the Baptist, 1602 (oil on canvas) by Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi da (1571-1610); 129x94 cm; Pinacoteca Capitolina, Palazzo Conservatori, Rome, Italy; Italian, out of copyright

The Circle of the Thieves: Buoso Donati Attacked by the Serpent, Inferno, Canto XXV
995601 The Circle of the Thieves: Buoso Donati Attacked by the Serpent, Inferno, Canto XXV, illustration to the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, 1954 (engraving) by Blake

Rivaux Abbey, 1812 (etching)
993098 Rivaux Abbey, 1812 (etching) by Turner, Joseph Mallord William (1775-1851); Leeds Museums and Galleries (Leeds Art Gallery) U.K.; (add.info)

Kirkstall Abbey Crypt, 1812 (etching & engraving)
993094 Kirkstall Abbey Crypt, 1812 (etching & engraving) by Turner, Joseph Mallord William (1775-1851); Leeds Museums and Galleries (Leeds Art Gallery) U.K.; (add.info)

Venus and Cupid, 1600-05 (oil on copper)
1190564 Venus and Cupid, 1600-05 (oil on copper) by Elsheimer, Adam (1578-1610); 8.7x14.6 cm; Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, UK; eFitzwilliam Museum; German, out of copyright

The Penitent Magdalene, c. 1620 (oil on panel)
874744 The Penitent Magdalene, c.1620 (oil on panel) by Ribera, Jusepe de (lo Spagnoletto) (1591-1652); 50.17 x39.37 cm; San Diego Museum of Art

Academic figure study: male nude holding a staff, 1844
877279 Academic figure study: male nude holding a staff, 1844 (charcoal & stumping on beige laid paper) by Stevens, Alfred Emile (1823-1906); 58.3x40 cm; Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute

Venanzio Rauzzini with his dog, Turk, c. 1795 (oil on canvas)
450219 Venanzio Rauzzini with his dog, Turk, c.1795 (oil on canvas) by Hutchison, Joseph (1747-1830) (attr. to); 76.2x63.5 cm; The Holburne Museum, Bath

Wick Rocks, c. 1824 (oil on canvas)
450170 Wick Rocks, c.1824 (oil on canvas) by Barker, Thomas (1769-1847); 43.2x30.8 cm; The Holburne Museum, Bath, UK; eHolburne Museum; British, out of copyright

Man with a Violin (oil on panel)
450153 Man with a Violin (oil on panel) by Dou, Gerrit or Gerard (1613-75) (after); 36x27.2 cm; The Holburne Museum, Bath, UK; eHolburne Museum; Dutch, out of copyright

A Wolf and Fox Hunt (The European Hunt) (chalks with wash on paper)
449371 A Wolf and Fox Hunt (The European Hunt) (chalks with wash on paper) by Dyck, Anthony van (1599-1641); 24.7x36 cm; eThe Devonshire Collections

Study for the Entombment, c. 1617-18 (pen & ink over chalks with wash & gouache on paper)
449368 Study for the Entombment, c.1617-18 (pen & ink over chalks with wash & gouache on paper) by Dyck, Anthony van (1599-1641); 25.2x21.7 cm; eThe Devonshire Collections

Leonardo da Vincis Last Supper (red & black chalks on paper)
449302 Leonardo da Vincis Last Supper (red & black chalks on paper) by Soutman, Pieter Claesz (c.1580-1657); 26x50.6 cm; eThe Devonshire Collections

Mors Janua Vitae (The Gateway of Life), 1866 (oil on canvas)
PNH367437 Mors Janua Vitae (The Gateway of Life), 1866 (oil on canvas) by Paton, Joseph Noel (1821-1901); 116.9x73.7 cm; Private Collection; Photo ePeter Nahum at The Leicester Galleries

The Holy Family with the Infant St. John, in an Oval, c. 1623 (woodcut)
2563203 The Holy Family with the Infant St. John, in an Oval, c.1623 (woodcut) by Businck, Ludwig (c.1590); 30.5x21.5 cm; Free Library of Philadelphia; (add.info)

Lieutenant Edward Nicolls boarding a French privateer cutter, the Albion, off Monte Cristi, Santo Domingo, West Indies, 5 November 1803. Date: 1803

Battle of the Nile (Battle of Aboukir Bay), Egypt, a naval battle between the British (led by Nelson) and the French, 1-3 August 1798

A Physician with a Urine Sample (oil on canvas)
1163624 A Physician with a Urine Sample (oil on canvas) by Bigot, Trophime (c.1595-p.1650); Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, UK; (add.info.: Candlelight Master); eAshmolean Museum; French

Young Woman, c. 1880 (oil on canvas)
1163423 Young Woman, c.1880 (oil on canvas) by Vigee-Lebrun, Elisabeth Louise (1755-1842) (after); 19.5x31.2 cm; Leeds Museums and Art Galleries (Abbey House Museum)

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Chiaroscuro, a term derived from the Italian words "chiaro" meaning light and "scuro" meaning dark, refers to the technique of using strong contrasts between light and shadow in visual arts. This artistic method has been employed by numerous renowned artists throughout history, such as Diego Velazquez, Raphael, and many others. In Diego Velazquez's painting "Old Woman Cooking Eggs, " created in 1618, chiaroscuro is evident through the dramatic interplay of light and shadow on the subject's face. The contrast highlights her weathered features while adding depth and dimension to the overall composition. Similarly, in his masterpiece "Christ before the High Priest, " painted in 1617, Velazquez skillfully uses chiaroscuro to emphasize Christ's solemn expression amidst a dimly lit setting. The play of light enhances both the emotional intensity of the scene and creates a sense of mystery. Another notable example is Albrecht Dürer's engraving titled "Melencolia I. " Created during the Renaissance period, this artwork showcases intricate details illuminated by contrasting areas of darkness. Chiaroscuro here serves not only as an aesthetic choice but also symbolizes melancholy itself. Moving forward in time to Jan van Kessel II's still life painting "Still Life of Asparagus" from 1699; chiaroscuro plays a significant role in highlighting each individual stalk against a dark background. This technique adds realism to the arrangement while creating an atmosphere that draws attention to every delicate detail. Raphael's monumental work "The Transfiguration of Christ, " completed between 1516-1520, exemplifies how they are be used for narrative purposes. By employing strong contrasts between light and shadow on different figures within this religious scene, Raphael effectively guides viewers' focus towards key elements or characters. Even modern artists have embraced this technique.