Judith Slaying Holofernes: Chiaroscuron

In “Judith Slaying Holofernes”, it uses a technique called Chiaroscuro, which means light and dark. “Chiaroscuro, (from Italian: chiaro, “light,” and scuro, “dark”) technique employed in the visual arts to represent light and shadow as they define three-dimensional objects.” (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, 2015) It is usually to create a dramatic effect or 3D effect through the contrast of value. This painting uses an extreme Chiaroscuro, called Tenebrism, where the highest value is Judith, Abra and Holofernes, and the lowest value on the other hand, is the background. It builds up an effect that advances the characters to the front and recedes the background, creating a 3D and dramatic effect. It evokes contrast because it creates