The Italian Renaissance saw the creation of great masterpieces.
The Italian Renaissance covered the period from the end of the 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century. This period of significant development in science, philosophy, mathematics and architecture influenced the techniques and subject matter of Renaissance art. Society came to revere artists, who discovered new innovations in composition, such as perspective and foreshortening, and paintings took on a sense of depth and realism.
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro is a painting technique that creates a contrast between light and dark and is used to make an object look three dimensional. An example of its extensive use in Renaissance painting is on the human body. Artists gradually blend color from light to dark to create shadows according to where light would naturally fall on the body. This technique introduced realism and a sense of drama, expressed through the use of light and shade.
Sfumato
Sfumato is an Italian term meaning "to vanish" or "fade away." It is a technique for creating a smoky, hazy outline for an image. The artist slowly blends the edges, using a combination of dark and light color, to create a soft effect. A famous example of this type of painting is the "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci. The soft glow of her face gives the painting a warm, relaxed and open feel.
Tenebrism
Tenebrism comes from the Italian word Tenebroso, meaning "dark" or "somber" and is a technique that exaggerates the contrast between light and dark. Although similar to chiaroscuro, it is used more specifically for dramatic intent, as darkness becomes a feature of the painting. For example, a single figure can be heavily lit, as if in a spotlight, while the images surrounding it are painted so darkly to be almost black. A painting entitled "Judith Slaying Holofernes" by Artemisia Gentileschi illustrates this technique.
Cangiante
Cangiante is a method of creating tone and shade on an image by adding a new color, rather than trying to darken or highlight with variations of the existing hue. For example, a robe is painted yellow, but the darker, shadowed areas are painted red. Michelangelo used this technique extensively in his Sistine Chapel ceiling paintings, particularly in the "Prophet Jeremiah" section.
