Ribera's Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro makes light the focal point of the composition.

This technique, characteristic of the Caravaggists, is built up by superimposing thin, often transparent layers of paint, called glazes.The first layers, often based on earth-toned pigments, are complemented by lighter layers of paint, allowing a strong contrast between light and shadow to emerge in the darkness.

Ribera's Saint Jerome thus seems to emerge from the half-light.Here, the chiaroscuro technique enables the painter to emphasize Saint Jerome's emaciated body with great naturalism, lending the penitent a dimension of gravity.It also supports a discourse in keeping with the spiritual dimension of the work: thought is light because it is knowledge.