Rembrandt lighting

noun

A form of lighting used in studio portrait photography and cinematography, characterized by an illuminated triangle (the "Rembrandt patch") under the eye of the subject on the less illuminated side of the face.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounRembrandt lighting (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA form of lighting used in studio portrait photography and cinematography, characterized by an illuminated triangle (the "Rembrandt patch") under the eye of the subject on the less illuminated side of the face.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
chiaroscuro

Origin

Named in allusion to the artistic style of Rembrandt; attributed to filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Rembrandt lighting. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rembrandt%20lighting

MLA

“Rembrandt lighting.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rembrandt%20lighting. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Rembrandt lighting,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rembrandt%20lighting.

Source: Rembrandt lighting on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.