Light can be used in artwork to help convey emotion, atmosphere, theme, and setting. Some artists honed in on the craft of using dramatic lighting to help receive a response from the individuals who looked at their pieces, in hopes to not only have them look in awe, but also to guide them to the mood or emotion that the artist was trying to convey when creating the piece. This gallery is a look at ten of the best artists who expertly used lighting to immerse the people who look at their work, and how they combined lighting techniques with other methods to create realistic heartfelt artwork.
Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness, Michelangelo Merisi, called Caravaggio, 1604 - 1605, From the collection of: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Saint John the Baptist in the wilderness depicts John sitting naked from the waist up and leaning to the right. He is covered by a red and white robe and holds a tall reed or perhaps some kind of stick in his right hand. His head is slightly bent and looking at the ground. This piece shows a lot of value in the robe going from the lightest part where the light hits the top of the fabric to the darker colors from the shadows in the wrinkles. The light seems to be very bright but you can still see the foliage in the background giving this piece a bit of depth. John’s skin is very pale but you can see the contrast from the intensity of the light in the fact that the shadows on his legs and torso are very dark. The light and shadows help to accentuate his muscles.
The Geographer depicts a man bent over a table where several large pieces of paper are spread out. He's wearing several layers of clothes and has medium length brown hair. The man looks out the window of his house while holding some type of compass. The light in this piece is soft perhaps due do an early morning sun coming through the windows. Value can be seen as the light is brightest where it shines on the geographer and his papers but the light is diffused the farther back you go in the painting. You see a cast shadow from the wall next to the windows onto part of the cabinet and then the cabinet's shadow cast onto the far wall and floor. The drapery in the foreground of the picture is also dark where the light has not touched it, but there is enough value in the colors of the drapery that you can still make out the intricate pattern.
Old woman examining a coin by a lantern (Sight or Avarice), Gerrit van Honthorst, 1623, From the collection of: The Kremer Collection
Old Woman Examining a Coin by a Lantern depicts an elderly woman wearing a red coat looking at a coin by lamplight. Her hair is wrapped in a turban and the glasses she wears appear tinted. In her right hand she holds a coin and in her left hand she seems to be holding a bunch of cloth or perhaps a purse. The candlelight coming from the lamp accentuates the texture in the woman’s face from all the wrinkles and the cloth of her turban. Since the light doesn’t extend far there isn’t much depth to the piece, but instead there is more of a closeness. There is a good use of value in the shades of the woman’s skin based off of where the light hits her face. The light in essence is very yellow, but the farther back you go, the more gold and brown her skin looks.
Venus and Adonis (Venus y Adonis), Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, 1771, From the collection of: Museo de Zaragoza
Venus and Adonis depicts the roman goddess of love standing over the mortal body of a man named Adonis sprawled on the ground. The goddess is wearing a white dress under a golden robe with her hair pulled back and adorned with jewels. She’s holding a cloth to the left side of her face possibly due to tears. Adonis is naked except for a red cloth covering his lower torso. There appears to be two different light sources one from the right of the goddess and the other in the background behind the tree. Most of the light falls on the goddess and it is brightest on her right side where the yellow of her robe is lightest shade. The light coming from the background helps to light up the world behind the tree and add depth to the piece. Even though there are two light sources, there is only value in Venus and Adonis. The trees and other foliage in the background are very two-dimensional as there aren’t a lot of color value changes. They are all pretty much the same muted color of dark green.
The Blinding of Samson, Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, 1636, From the collection of: Städel Museum
The Blinding of Samson depicts the Judge of Israel held to the ground and surrounded by five men and the woman Delilah. One of the men dressed like a soldier is holding him down from behind while another soldier stabs Samson in the eye with a short sword. The other two men are poised to attack with either a rapier or a spear should Samson break away from the three soldiers. Delilah is pictured running out of the cave or tent they are all in carrying a pair of scissors in her right hand and Samson’s hair in her left. The only source of light is coming from the cave or tent opening in the mid-ground of the painting. The bright white highlights in the armor the soldiers are wearing helps to show the smooth texture of the metal. You can also see texture in the many lines and wrinkles in Delilah’s shirt where the light has passed through the fabric. Since the light is only coming from a small part of the opening, it only touches the first couple of feet into the cave. The cave walls are very dark in contrast to the bright colored clothes and armor of the men.
Ecce Homo, José de Ribera, 1620, From the collection of: Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
Ecce Homo depicts a dark haired man in profile wearing a red robe and holding what appears to be a stick or small rod. The robe covers his most of his body save for his left arm and part of his chest. There is also blood coming from his forehead. This piece is devoid of any sort of background. The space behind this man is completely covered in shadow. Even parts of the man are lost in the darkness. There isn’t much value in the robe or the man’s skin. The intensity of the light coming from slightly above and in front of the man highlights the muscles in the man’s arm and the wrinkles in his robe.
A Boyar Wedding Feast, Konstantin Makovsky, 1883, From the collection of: Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens
A Boyar Wedding Fest depicts a bride and groom celebrating their wedding day with each of their families. The bride and groom stand at the right of the painting together at the head of the table where their families dine. The expressions of the guests in attendance are very happy as they look upon the couple. Their clothes are very detailed and ornate in both color and pattern, which indicate they are very wealthy and perhaps royalty. The dining table is filled with food and wine and the room is filled with expensive gifts. This piece has multiple sources of light. There are two windows in the background providing soft afternoon light and there are several candles to the right of the couple and the left corner of the painting. Due to the light being in different places around the piece, we are able to see fully all the details and depth of the celebratory room. The light also helps to brighten all the colors and make all the decorations and clothes pop. The color value in the faces and clothes of the guests, and the light and shadows of the room help to add a sense of realism and 3D to the space.
The Last Day of Pompeii, Karl Brullov, 1830/1833, From the collection of: The State Russian Museum
The Last Day of Pompeii depicts the eruption of Vesuvius and the destruction it wrought on the people and island of Pompeii. Here you can see people fleeing for their lives and looking on in despair and horror at the destruction and death heading for them. People dressed in various colors of robes are huddled around their loved ones and some are trying to carry off members of their family or trinkets or material possessions. There are also people lying in the streets, some trying to get up and continue their escape, other already dead perhaps trampled on. The upper left-hand corner of the painting is very dark with heavy clouds as it rains down on them. In contrast there is light almost splitting the piece diagonally streaming down from the upper right-hand corner. The bottom right corner is very dark as well from the cast shadow of the building. This inconsistency in lighting adds an element of suspense and drama to the piece. The bright white of the light that pierces through the darkness highlights the bodies of the citizens of Pompeii. You can see the details and textures in their clothes and the definition of muscles in their bodies. Depth is shown where the red and orange fires are raging on the skyline in the background.
Blind-Man’s Buff depicts a young woman in the middle of a patio being blindfolded by a young man standing behind her. She wears a hat and brightly colored dress surrounded by flowers and children. The background of the trees seems to be meant as a painting and there also appears to be props leaning against the wall on the woman’s left. Both of these things make it seem like the people in this painting are on a theatre set. The light in this picture is very soft and touches nearly everything in this piece. The brightest colors are the greenery, the pink of the woman’s dress, and the white of her sleeves. There is a lot of value in her sleeves, bodice, and skirts and you can get a sense of depth with the contrast of light and dark colors in her clothes. The light bouncing off the tree shows all the cracks and crevices in the bark giving it a good sense of texture.
Charles-Alexandre de Calonne (1734-1802), Vigée-Lebrun, Elisabeth-Louise, 1784, From the collection of: Royal Collection Trust, UK
Charles-Alexandre de Calonne depicts a man sitting on an ornate golden chair with red cushions. He wears a fancy navy coat with lace trimmings and matching trousers. Charles-Alexandre holds a letter in his left hand that rests atop an ornate writing desk with gold trim and covered with inkwells and feathered pens. His dark colored clothes contrast with the gold of writing desk and chair and the red of the chair cushion and the drapery in the background. The main colors of this painting are also the three primary colors of the color wheel – red, yellow, blue making this a pretty powerful piece. The light is not harsh, but soft and caresses all the objects and Charles-Alexandre. There isn’t much value in the blue of this suit, however. There is either a very light blue where the light hits the tops of the fabric and the rest is so dark it’s almost black. There is a lot of dimension in the gold of the chair. You can see a lot of value where the bright yellow highlight starts and blends into the dark gold/brown of the shadowy areas. The soft light also helps to accentuate the pattern of the curtain and chair cushion. The way the light falls on the fabric gives off a silky feel which helps to add texture.
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This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.
