Chapter 1
Painting with theater and the magic of chiaroscuro
Chapter 2
The ultimate action portrait of the Night Watch
Chapter 3
Sculpting with thick paint and the secret of impasto
Chapter 4
The ultimate selfie diary of a Dutch master
YOUR GOAL
Master of Rembrandt and the art of the spotlight
Ch 1 · Painting with theater and the magic of chiaroscuro
suaz Chiaroscuro in Painting
Paint the drama, paint the drama! Thick impasto casts a shadow in the light!
suaz Dignifying Ordinary Citizens
With just some shadow and light, he made a merchant look like a king
suaz In the 1630s, Rembrandt integrated Caravaggio's high-contrast chiaroscuro into his paintings, replacing harsh Italian light with soft, atmospheric shadows.
BETA
suaz Paint with light and shadow to discover how Rembrandt made ordinary people look like royalty.
Fun Fact
Chiaroscuro origin: The famous 'Rembrandt lighting' technique, characterized by a small illuminated triangle of light on the subject's cheek, is still widely used by modern Hollywood cinematographers.
Glossary
chiaroscuro (noun)
The treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting. Rembrandt used this technique to highlight the central figures of his 1642 painting, The Night Watch.
The treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting. Rembrandt used this technique to highlight the central figures of his 1642 painting, The Night Watch.
Quiz
Which Italian Baroque master heavily influenced Rembrandt's dramatic use of light and shadow?
Quiz
How old was Rembrandt when he completed the famous painting The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp?
Quiz
In 17th-century Amsterdam, why were public dissections like the one shown in Rembrandt's painting held only during winter?
Quiz
What letter did Rembrandt paint the corpse's navel to resemble in The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp?
Quiz
What anatomical error did modern researchers discover in Rembrandt's depiction of the corpse's left arm?