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Listen to an Academic Talk Test #024
Listen to an Academic Talk
1. What is the lecture mainly about?
A) The life of the artist Caravaggio
B) A comparison of Renaissance art styles
C) An artistic technique involving light and shadow
D) The use of color in Italian painting
2. What is the literal meaning of the term *chiaroscuro*?
A) Light and shadow
B) Three-dimensional form
C) Dark stage
D) Deep emotion
3. What does the lecturer imply about art made before the Renaissance?
A) It focused more on landscapes.
B) It was generally less realistic and dramatic.
C) It used a brighter range of colors.
D) It was created mainly for rulers.
4. Why does the lecturer mention Caravaggio?
A) To introduce the inventor of the technique
B) To provide an example of an artist who used the technique
C) To describe a critic of the technique
D) To explain how the technique got its name
Lecturer: This morning, I want to introduce a technique that revolutionized painting during the Renaissance: *chiaroscuro*. It's an Italian term, and it literally translates to "light-dark."
In art, chiaroscuro refers to the use of strong, dramatic contrasts between light and shadow. Artists use it to model three-dimensional forms on a flat, two-dimensional surface, like a canvas. But it's more than just a tool for realism. It creates a sense of volume and, very importantly, drama.
Artists like Caravaggio were absolute masters of this. If you look at one of his paintings, you'll often see a subject illuminated by a harsh, single light source, as if they're under a spotlight on a dark stage. The background is plunged into deep shadow. This technique allowed painters to create intense emotion and focus the viewer's attention, a major departure from the flatter styles of earlier periods.
In art, chiaroscuro refers to the use of strong, dramatic contrasts between light and shadow. Artists use it to model three-dimensional forms on a flat, two-dimensional surface, like a canvas. But it's more than just a tool for realism. It creates a sense of volume and, very importantly, drama.
Artists like Caravaggio were absolute masters of this. If you look at one of his paintings, you'll often see a subject illuminated by a harsh, single light source, as if they're under a spotlight on a dark stage. The background is plunged into deep shadow. This technique allowed painters to create intense emotion and focus the viewer's attention, a major departure from the flatter styles of earlier periods.
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