Caravaggio’s Chiaroscuro Techniques as Adopted by Nicolas Regnier

Phaedra Powell-Zecher

5/16/16

During the Baroque period, painting developed into a radically different style,

which placed a new emphasis on depth and a unity of elements. Many painters and young

students adopted this style and attempted to unify light and shadow. Nicolas Regnier, a

lesser-known talent, demonstrates the use of the single light source in ‘St. Sebastian

Attended by the Holy Women’ (1615-1616). Using characteristics of Baroque painting

such as chiaroscuro, an anatomical fascination, and a great economy of space, Regnier is

able to create a similar result as Caravaggio. Regnier’s use of chiaroscuro serves as the

catalyst for creating a precise anatomical presence and a homogenous group of figures. It

is these aspects that work to bring the painting’s unity to fruition.

Chiaroscuro is at play in the definition of the figures. Illumination is important to

notice in this piece, because it directly correlates to the definition of flesh and

musculature. The light hits the three figures in the picture plane at different angles, and

different rates of intensity, suggesting a single light source. The unnamed holy woman on

the left is partially illuminated. Her neck is the brightest part of her, emitting a pinkish

hue. The observer can really get a feel for her plumpness and fleshy skin. The older

woman, Irene, is almost fully illuminated. Her bony hands work meticulously to pull out

the arrow, and her face presents a worn yet gently determined expression. The light

shines on her face and directly juxtaposes that of the other woman’s face; Irene’s face is

accentuated, while the other’s face is shadowed. Emphasis is placed on Irene, as the other

woman is left with a ghostly appearance; her garb is almost the same color as the black

background, and she disappears into the darkness.

The most light is shed on Sebastian’s body. Every surface of Saint Sebastian is

revealed by the light source, and his body serves as the light connection from one end of

the painting to the other. Light reflects off of his glowing body, serving as a guide for the

eye. He lies splayed across the stone platform with his chest protruding outwards and his

feeble stomach hollow under his ribcage. He is foreshortened by the light source,

equating his legs to his upper body. Only one leg is outstretched with the other tucked

behind, and his left arm lies triangularly to his side, completing his oval shape. Emphasis

of light upon Sebastian’s body showcases the artist’s knowledge of how the body looks

and functions. This point is made especially clear when the observer studies the

placement of the right hand. Saint Sebastian lies with his hand nestled in the crevice of

his concave stomach, and the bones of his fingers rub against his projecting hipbone.

Regnier uses his anatomical knowledge and fascination with the human body to

further Saint Sebastian’s jutting presence within the picture plane. Sebastian’s elbow is

anatomically developed as incredibly bony and skeletal, acting as a jutting force

attempting to jump out of the painting and contact the observer. Saint Sebastian is placed

on a stone platform that mirrors the shape of his body and curves around the shape of his

jabbing elbow. The stone slab rises up from the ground and pushes outwards in an

eruptive way. The jutting stone and corresponding elbow create an implied line moving

horizontally parallel to the viewer, which further stresses a sense of depth. Nicolas

Regnier paints with the same intent as Caravaggio. Caravaggio’s ‘Entombment’ (1602-

1604) also causes an affront to the viewer; the rock slab that the figures stand on juts

directly out of the picture plane, and the elbow of the arm supporting Jesus pushes

outward mirroring the slab’s position. Creating this sense of realness in a two-

dimensional painting can only be executed with properly reflected light.

Regnier’s use of chiaroscuro not only defines the bones and musculature of his

figures, but also economically utilizes the space of the picture plane. There is obvious

caution by the painter to leave the background dark and fade the presence of the two holy

women. Regnier leaves the background unexplored by the brush, so that he may direct

the most light to the relevant subject, Saint Sebastian. Light is reflected either wholly or

partially onto the figures, causing the eye to dance around the group in a continuous flow.

These three figures are purposefully restricted to their huddled space. They become one

homogenous form and a unified total, with no start nor finish to the painting. In ‘The

Entombment,’ Caravaggio, too, utilizes the most space in order to create a cascading

fusion of figures while leaving the background largely unexplored by the brush.

Nicolas Regnier’s effective use of a singular light source enhances each figure’s

bodily presence, so much so that these body parts reach through the two-dimensional

plane to the observer. The controlled light source also provides distinction to the subject

matter by separating the illumination of the figures from the shadowy background. ‘Saint

Sebastian Attended by the Holy Women’ substantially projects its subject matter through

a two-dimensional exterior, demonstrating the Baroque influence of the fusion of

multiple forms.

Illustrations

‘St. Sebastian Attended by the Holy Women’ (1615-1616)

Nicolas Regnier

‘TheEntombment’(1602-1604)

Caravaggio