This book by the eminent art historian Ernst Gombrich examines the features of the depiction of shadows in Western painting. The author draws our attention to something that usually escapes the viewer's eye: why do shadows appear on paintings only occasionally and what does the artist use them for? Since the Renaissance, in some cases, the masters emphasized their sharpness, in others they deliberately moved away from their image. On the example of famous canvases, the author shows how painters and graphic artists of different trends - from romanticism and impressionism to surrealism - used shadows to make the image more realistic or dramatic. Considering the perception of shadows in mythology and Western philosophy, Gombrich analyzes the factors that determine their image: shape, location, light source, and the position of the viewer. The book is intended for a wide range of readers and all those interested in the history of art.
