chiaro-scuro

A form of chiaroscuro — An artistic technique developed during the Renaissance, referring to the use of strong contrasts between light and dark in order to create the illusion of volume.

OriginItalian chiaroscuro →
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Meanings

nounchiaro-scuro (uncountable)
  1. obsoleteuncountableObsolete form of chiaroscuro.

    CHIARO-SCURO, among painters. See Claro-obscuro.

    1771, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1st ed., Vol. II, p. 183

Origin

  1. Italianchiaroscuro
  2. Englishchiaro-scuro

From Italian chiaroscuro.

More words from Italian

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Cite this entry
APA

chiaro-scuro. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chiaro-scuro

MLA

“chiaro-scuro.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chiaro-scuro. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chiaro-scuro,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chiaro-scuro.

Source: chiaro-scuro on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.