Baroque Light and Shadow Guide - Barberini and Corsini

In Baroque art, light is not decoration. It is argument.

Three functions of light

1. Narrative: tells you where the action matters.
2. Psychological: creates tension, mercy, fear, awe.
3. Architectural: expands or compresses perceived space.

Practice drill

• Pick one painting.
• Cover the label mentally.
• Describe only what light is doing.

Then read the label and compare.

Quick cues

• Hard edge shadows -> urgency
• Diffuse glow -> contemplation
• Contradictory sources -> instability

By the third room, you'll start seeing light as language, not effect.