Baroque

In relation to painting and sculpture Baroque is

used in a number of senses, but perhaps most
usefully to describe large, usually 17th-century,
works of a dramatic and exuberant nature which
employ diagonal compositions and illusionistic
effects in order to impress the viewer.
The works of the Flemish painter Rubens and
the Roman sculptor Bernini are often described
as Baroque in this sense. The term was
originally derogatory and may be derived from
the Portuguese word barroco, meaning an
irregular pearl.
Camera obscura
This is an optical device which is the ancestor
of modern cameras. From the 17th century
onwards some artists used it as an aid to
plotting compositions.
Essentially the camera obscura consisted of a
lens attached to an aperture on the side of a
darkened tent or box. Light reflected from the
chosen subject outside of the box passed
through the lens and was projected on to a
surface on a much smaller scale inside the
encased area. The subject could then be
traced.
This mechanical means of recording images is
known to have been employed by Canaletto.
The Delft artists Fabritius and Vermeer may
also have experimented with it.
Caricature
A picture, description, or imitation of a person in
which certain striking characteristics are
exaggerated in order to create a comic or
grotesque effect.
Chiaroscuro
This is an Italian term which literally means
'light-dark'. In paintings the description refers to
clear tonal contrasts which are often used to
suggest the volume and modelling of the
subjects depicted.
Artists who are famed for the use of chiaroscuro
include Leonardo da Vinci and Caravaggio.
Leonardo employed it to give a vivid impression