Light and shadow have never been merely technical devices for describing objects in oil painting. They influence how a viewer enters an image, where attention settles, how figures occupy space, and how a particular moment acquires emotional intensity. This paper examines the changing role of illumination from Renaissance painting to the Baroque period, with particular emphasis on Caravaggio's treatment of light and darkness. Rather than considering chiaroscuro simply as a method of modeling form, the paper understands it as a means of organizing the entire pictorial field. Through historical comparison, visual analysis, and practice-led investigation, it examines how Renaissance painters generally used light to clarify form and spatial relationships, while Baroque painters increasingly employed selective illumination to concentrate attention and heighten dramatic presence. Caravaggio's paintings are discussed as an important turning point in this development, particularly in relation to the interaction between illuminated figures and extensive areas of darkness. The paper then considers the relevance of these historical approaches to contemporary realist oil painting. The authors' studio experiments, involving controlled lighting, tonal reduction, and comparisons between direct observation and photographic references, provide a practical perspective on the subject. The research argues that the contemporary value of historical chiaroscuro lies not in reproducing an old style, but in understanding how light can become a structural and emotional principle within a painting.

Wang Yanliang, Chen Min. Light and Shadow as Structural and Emotional Language in Realist Oil Painting: From Renaissance Chiaroscuro to Caravaggio and Contemporary Practice. Frontiers in Art Research (2026), Vol. 8, Issue 3: 57-63. https://doi.org/10.25236/FAR.2026.080308.

[1] Arnheim, R. (1974). Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye (2nd ed.). University of California Press.

[2] Fried, M. (2010). The Moment of Caravaggio. Princeton University Press.

[3] Schütze, S. (2015). Caravaggio: The Complete Works. TASCHEN.

[4] Wölfflin, H. (1950). Principles of Art History: The Problem of the Development of Style in Later Art. Dover Publications.