Tenebrism, from Italian tenebroso ('dark, gloomy, mysterious'), also occasionally called dramatic illumination, is a style of painting using especially pronounced chiaroscuro, where there are violent contrasts of light and dark, and where darkness becomes a dominating feature of the image. The technique was developed to add drama to an image through a spotlight effect,[1] and is common in Baroque paintings. Tenebrism is used only to obtain a dramatic impact while chiaroscuro is a broader term, also covering the use of less extreme contrasts of light to enhance the illusion of three-dimensionality.
- ^ Lois Fichner-Rathus (January 2011). Foundations of Art and Design: An Enhanced Media Edition. Cengage Learning. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-111-77145-4.