"Clair-obscur" redirects here. For the 2016 film, see Clair Obscur. Giovanni Baglione. Divine Love Conquering Earthly Love (1602–1603), showing dramatic compositional chiaroscuro In art, chiaroscuro (English: /kiˌɑːrəˈsk(j)ʊəroʊ/ kee-AR-ə-SKOOR-oh, -SKURE-, Italian: [ˌkjaroˈskuːro]; lit. 'light-dark') is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole