Term: Tenebroso

A style of painting that relies on a high contrast between light and shade. The light typically illuminates a single figure or subject in the composition, leaving the rest of the painting in very dark shadow. This pronounced chiaroscuro creates a dramatic effect and focuses attention on the subject.

Tenebroso is an Italian word meaning murky, dark or gloomy. Pictures painted in this style are often called "night pictures" or "dramatic illuminations" and are described as being painted in a "dark manner." The most renowned artists that painted in this style are Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi, and Rembrandt van Rijn.