chiaroscuro
noun
chiar·oscu·ro kē-ˌär-ə-ˈskyu̇r-(ˌ)ō 
-ˈsku̇r-
plural chiaroscuros
1
: pictorial representation in terms of light and shade without regard to color
2
a
: the arrangement or treatment of light and dark parts in a pictorial work of art
The artist uses chiaroscuro to create the perception of depth in a two-dimensional work.
b
: the interplay or contrast of dissimilar qualities (as of mood or character)
3
: a 16th century woodcut technique involving the use of several blocks to print different tones of the same color
also : a print made by this technique
4
: the interplay of light and shadow on or as if on a surface
a spotlight revealing a chiaroscuro of ridges and craters on a mountainside
5
: the quality of being veiled or partly in shadow
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The boys in Led Zeppelin, to take one instance, are said to have found their patterns of musical chiaroscuro, the movement from soft to loud and back, in her work. 
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 29 July 2022 The production’s design grows in artistry as the scene moves to the Parisian streets, with painterly scrims that have the charm of an animated film and lighting by Justin Townsend that introduces gorgeous chiaroscuro effects. Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2022 Finally, the sun broke through the gray clouds, casting the rows of Italian cypress into stark chiaroscuro. Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2021 The cover displays a huge chiaroscuro headshot of Roger Moore looking devastatingly handsome. Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2021 Wright transforms Caravaggio’s theatrical chiaroscuro lighting technique, popularized in the 16th and 17th centuries as a religious simile for spiritual illumination, into a metaphor of rational enlightenment. Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2021 Knitted from a Japanese yarn with reflective properties, the emblematic pieces practically glow in Roversi’s chiaroscuro images. Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 1 July 2021 His canny placement of the camera for long shots and use of chiaroscuro lighting in close-ups make just about every scene, all of them filmed in widescreen, a cinematic study. David Mermelstein, WSJ, 8 June 2021 Among them was Rachel Ruysch, whose delicate, bountiful bouquets populate urns and dark niches—a play of chiaroscuro in the style of the times. Jessi Jezewska Stevens, The New Yorker, 8 May 2021 See More
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 29 July 2022 The production’s design grows in artistry as the scene moves to the Parisian streets, with painterly scrims that have the charm of an animated film and lighting by Justin Townsend that introduces gorgeous chiaroscuro effects. Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2022 Finally, the sun broke through the gray clouds, casting the rows of Italian cypress into stark chiaroscuro. Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2021 The cover displays a huge chiaroscuro headshot of Roger Moore looking devastatingly handsome. Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2021 Wright transforms Caravaggio’s theatrical chiaroscuro lighting technique, popularized in the 16th and 17th centuries as a religious simile for spiritual illumination, into a metaphor of rational enlightenment. Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2021 Knitted from a Japanese yarn with reflective properties, the emblematic pieces practically glow in Roversi’s chiaroscuro images. Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 1 July 2021 His canny placement of the camera for long shots and use of chiaroscuro lighting in close-ups make just about every scene, all of them filmed in widescreen, a cinematic study. David Mermelstein, WSJ, 8 June 2021 Among them was Rachel Ruysch, whose delicate, bountiful bouquets populate urns and dark niches—a play of chiaroscuro in the style of the times. Jessi Jezewska Stevens, The New Yorker, 8 May 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Italian, from chiaro clear, light + oscuro obscure, dark
First Known Use
1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1