Chiaroscuro is an art technique using strong contrasts between light and dark to create volume and focus in compositions, originating in the Renaissance and most notably associated with Baroque art. The term applies to painting, drawing, printmaking, and photography, with notable practitioners including Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, and Rembrandt. The technique traces back to Ancient Greek shadow-painting and evolved through Byzantine and Medieval art before becoming standard in Western art.
A history of Renaissance ideas and mythology is nominated for a British Science Fiction Association award because it explores how the myth of a golden age versus dark age—historically debunked but narratively powerful—shapes both political rhetoric and science fiction worldbuilding across works like Tolkien, Jemison, and Asimov.