1664 LUMINISM in ART -Gautam Shah
Defined Illumination has been part of Art, whether, in dark caves, outdoor architecture or interior of homes. Painters have explored colours with the intensity and direction of illumination, both, control shadows, and modelling of objects in the content. Illumination, actual or its representational form, both need shadows.
Light and Dark coexist. Illumination and Shadows need to be a coordinated affair within the art piece, its location (siting) and as wall art occurring in exterior or interior architecture. Illumination (represented and site- circumstantial) has defined the expression of the content.
Chiaroscuro is a Renaissance period style as drawing on white or coloured background and use the colour tone of the base to lighten or darken the artwork. It uses strong contrasts between light and dark, for achieving a sense of volumetric effect in the composition.
Sfumato is blurred or smoke effect to soften the transition between the colours, without lines or borders. It is also used to form secondary focuses. Leonardo da Vinci explored it with his knowledge of optics and human vision.
Cangiante explores various tonal values (not necessarily adding white or black) to cause darker shadow areas.
Tenebrism, is for dramatic contrasts of light and dark illumination. This was common in Baroque art. Tenebrism offers extreme contrasts, while chiaroscuro is less extreme.
Unione was developed by Raphael. It was used to soften edges of chiaroscuro. Unione retains the contrast but through softness offers harmony, unity and richness.
Pointillism, (Early 19th C) explored the dual tone effect of closely spaced colour dots to form distinctly different visual colour effect. Expressionist and Impressionist have used the effects of colour massing.
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