Rembrandt van Rijn remains the ultimate master of light and shadow, a technique known as chiaroscuro. However, his genius lay not just in dramatic lighting but in his innovative use of the “ground” (the initial layer on the canvas). Rembrandt often painted on a brown or grey ground, using it as the mid-tone. He would then model the lights using thick, opaque lead white mixed with yellow ochre, leaving the dark areas translucent so the warm ground glowed through. This “Rembrandtian” method creates a psychological intensity and a sense of moving light that feels alive. His late self-portraits showcase a loose, gestural brushwork that was centuries ahead of its time.