Light in Art

Claude Monet

Claude Monet

________ is perhaps the best- known Impressionist in his use of light and color. In many of his works, he uses water to make light a key feature in his paintings.

He explores reflections in the water, showing shapes to the viewer through their reflected image

Leonardo Da Vinci

________ was one of the first artists who scientifically study the properties of light during the Renaissance.

Georges de La Tour

________ was another master of light to create emotions and drama.

Sfumato

________ "is a particular technique that has been attributed to Da Vinci and features in some of his most famous works.

sense of perspective

Light is essential when artists wish to build a(n) ________.

Caravaggio

________ was one of the most famous artists to use light in an extreme way.

He is known for including one light source in his paintings.

He used it to create a sense of volume and mass, to give the characters in his work a solid and often unsettling presence.

Light levels

________ can directly influence our mood and the sense of atmosphere in a space.

Shimmering gold paint and gold leaf was

a popular method for highlighting holy symbols.

Gold intensively reflected light, and by layering different light effects,

early artists were able to create works that were thick with symbolic meaning.

Light and shadow lend

a painting depth and without this, work would feel incomplete.

Light levels can directly influence

our mood and the sense of atmosphere in a space.

The first painting tradition that began to use light as a subject in its own right was during

the 17th century, the Age of Enlightenment.

Impressionists in the 19th century

This was the period in which many painters went outdoors and into nature to find inspiration As a result, we see a rise in diffuse light sources that mimic natural light. Painters begin to focus more on the way in which sunlight affects a scene or a landscape.