Classical painters

Early painters and artists recognized lighting and its importance. The most famous of these artists was Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606-October 4, 1669). Rembrandt was a Dutch painter and etcher. He is considered one of the greatest painters in European art history. Although he has no direct involvement in film, his paintings are hugely influential to the way in which light is depicted and how it can add character and mood to a story. Rembrandt once said that, “All is light.” His use of lighting within his paintings was extraordinary. He knew that light could give a scene or character some context. He also understood that we as humans only understand the immediate environment around us because of the way light reflects off its surfaces. This is also true within a two-dimensional space whether on screen or on canvas. In film’s emotions and actions are heavily dependent on the way in which the scene is lit.

Another very important artist was Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610). He was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta and Sicily. His paintings boast realism and the observation of the human state. His paintings are not merely a snapshot; they explore the physical and emotional elements of the people within each scene. The reason why the images were so dramatic and theatrical was because his clever use of lighting which created different moods within his paintings. His use of chiaroscuro, the shift from light to dark with little intermediate values enhanced his images. His images are much like the first German expressionist images in the early 1900’s, which make use of high contrast to portray a specific mood or character.

These images produced by Carravagio as well as Rembrant are awesome examples of moody lighting. Although the lighting in Chris's film will be slightly different this is the sort of look we are going for. The dull oranges ad yellows used in the paintings create a foggy atmosphere. The contrast between light and dark areas make for more interesting and dynamic images as well as striking compositions.