DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2086#0072
LIGHT AND SHADE, OR CHIAROSCURO. 61
of some writers on the theory of art, yet, it must be evident that, as even under the
most fortunate circumstances, subjects are not found complete in all their various
parts, there is an urgent necessity for rules to guide the student in the choice and
disposition of his light and shade ; for, how perfect soever a landscape may be in the
arrangement of the lines or forms, still it may fail in the chiaroscuro or colour, and
thus prove that there was ample room for further thought.
The reader must bear in mind that these remarks apply chiefly to landscape
painting; for, in historical painting, the artist has a much greater scope for selection
and skill in the arrangement of the materials composing his picture. Subjects taken
from history have but a small space of open sky or air; the incidents selected having
most of them taken place within doors, are generally made to occupy nearly the
whole of the canvas. Moreover, owing to the dark colours necessary for the costumes
of the figures introduced, there is but little reflected light in historical paintings
compared with that of landscape subjects. The placing of the figures and the
admission of light are also very much at the discretion of the painter. The costumes
and other accessaries afford opportunities for the display of taste ; but their colours,
from their close proximity, offer less real power in representing the difference between
the degrees of light and shade, and in passing from light to shade are made in a less
decided manner. Again, in adding the local colour to objects, those of a dark
colour may always count as shadow, and those of a light colour as light. On the
contrary, in the broad expanse of nature, there must necessarily exist a more brilliant
and extended degree of light, more reflections, and, in the deep shadows, a more
intense effect.
Having thus given a concise view of the principles involved in the term chiaro-
scuro, it is now the author's wish to explain and illustrate their practice. With this
view, he has introduced some diagrams and examples of subjects treated in the
broad and general manner recommended. When the student has made himself
master of these ideas, he will doubtless have but little difficulty in following them
up with many others, which the various scenes and circumstances around him will
suggest. The first object being to secure the just arrangement and proper quantities
of light and shade, half lights and shadows of various strengths, the student should
avail himself of such materials as he can handle with the greatest facility, and confine
his attempts to a few objects in the immediate foreground. If paper of neutral tint
be employed, either white chalk or Chinese white may be used in addition to the
black chalk. Should the brush be preferred, sepia and white with the addition of a
little blue will be found adequate to the purpose, and, by passing these materials
one into the other, or one over the other, a middle tint will be gained either with the
brush or the stump. By this mode of rubbing-in the effect within a small space, all
of some writers on the theory of art, yet, it must be evident that, as even under the
most fortunate circumstances, subjects are not found complete in all their various
parts, there is an urgent necessity for rules to guide the student in the choice and
disposition of his light and shade ; for, how perfect soever a landscape may be in the
arrangement of the lines or forms, still it may fail in the chiaroscuro or colour, and
thus prove that there was ample room for further thought.
The reader must bear in mind that these remarks apply chiefly to landscape
painting; for, in historical painting, the artist has a much greater scope for selection
and skill in the arrangement of the materials composing his picture. Subjects taken
from history have but a small space of open sky or air; the incidents selected having
most of them taken place within doors, are generally made to occupy nearly the
whole of the canvas. Moreover, owing to the dark colours necessary for the costumes
of the figures introduced, there is but little reflected light in historical paintings
compared with that of landscape subjects. The placing of the figures and the
admission of light are also very much at the discretion of the painter. The costumes
and other accessaries afford opportunities for the display of taste ; but their colours,
from their close proximity, offer less real power in representing the difference between
the degrees of light and shade, and in passing from light to shade are made in a less
decided manner. Again, in adding the local colour to objects, those of a dark
colour may always count as shadow, and those of a light colour as light. On the
contrary, in the broad expanse of nature, there must necessarily exist a more brilliant
and extended degree of light, more reflections, and, in the deep shadows, a more
intense effect.
Having thus given a concise view of the principles involved in the term chiaro-
scuro, it is now the author's wish to explain and illustrate their practice. With this
view, he has introduced some diagrams and examples of subjects treated in the
broad and general manner recommended. When the student has made himself
master of these ideas, he will doubtless have but little difficulty in following them
up with many others, which the various scenes and circumstances around him will
suggest. The first object being to secure the just arrangement and proper quantities
of light and shade, half lights and shadows of various strengths, the student should
avail himself of such materials as he can handle with the greatest facility, and confine
his attempts to a few objects in the immediate foreground. If paper of neutral tint
be employed, either white chalk or Chinese white may be used in addition to the
black chalk. Should the brush be preferred, sepia and white with the addition of a
little blue will be found adequate to the purpose, and, by passing these materials
one into the other, or one over the other, a middle tint will be gained either with the
brush or the stump. By this mode of rubbing-in the effect within a small space, all