noun
- a style of painting characterized by dramatic contrasts between light and dark areas
Usage: art history
Examples
- Caravaggio was a master of tenebrism, using stark lighting to create powerful religious scenes.
- The artist’s use of tenebrism made the figures seem to emerge from complete darkness.
- Tenebrism became popular in 17th-century European painting.
- The dramatic shadows in the portrait show the influence of tenebrism.
- Art students study tenebrism to understand how light and shadow create mood.
- The museum’s exhibition featured several examples of tenebrism from the Baroque period.