#william wiehe collins

Noun

[ kee-ahr-uh-skyoor-oh ]

1. the distribution of light and shade in a picture.

2.Painting. the use of deep variations in and subtle gradations of light and shade, especially to enhance the delineation of character and for general dramatic effect:
    Rembrandt is a master of chiaroscuro.

3. a woodcut print in which the colors are produced by the use of different blocks with different colors.

4. a sketch in light and shade.

Origin:
1680–90; <Italian, equivalent to chiaro bright (<Latin clārus) + oscuro dark (<Latin obscūrus). See clear,obscure

“In the decoration of this Correggio surpassed himself in his mastery of chiaroscuro and the foreshortening of the human figure.”
- WILLIAM WIEHE COLLINS, CATHEDRAL CITIES OF ITALY