David Garrick as Don John in <i>The Chances</i> by John Fletcher, adapted by George Villiers
1774
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1774
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
This painting shows a man in fancy 18th-century clothes standing on a stone balcony. He’s holding a red cloth and wearing a feathered hat. Behind him, a dimly lit doorway frames a nighttime harbor scene with boats and a distant moonlit sky. The artist used dark shadows to make the man stand out against the warm, glowing doorway. This contrast helps draw your eye to his face and posture. Next, check out chiaroscuro to see how light and shadow create drama in paintings.
