Renaissance Art

A technique developed during the period of renaissance art was described as "chiaroscuro," which refers to the use of exaggerated light contrasts in order to create the illusion of volume. In this painting you can see the contrasts between light and dark, and sense the drama that comes from the use of exaggerated light. Note the bottle in the background is hardly visible, yet contributes to the illusion of volume and depth in an otherwise two dimensional painting.