The term chiaroscuro ("chiaroscuro"), which comes from Italian, describes the effect of light and shadow in a work of art, especially when it is strongly contrasted. A great pioneer of bold chiaroscuro painting was Leonardo da Vinci, but the term is most often associated with the artists of the 17th century, primarily Rembrandt and the Caravaggists.
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn 
