How did Rembrandt use light differently in his paintings after about 1627?

After about 1627, Rembrandt moved away from the evenly lit, colorful style of his earlier works toward a more dramatic approach involving the concentrated use of light. By exaggerating the diminuendo of light intensity relative to the distance from its source, he achieved what are often described as "spotlight" effects.1

To create these convincing light effects, Rembrandt adopted a method similar to that of Caravaggio, which required leaving large areas of the canvas shrouded in shadow. By 1628, he further refined this by clustering lit elements in one area, using "kindred colours" (bevriende kleuren) to create a concentrated, intense light that allowed for strong compositional unity. This technique required him to sacrifice both strong, saturated colors and fine detail to maintain tonal unity across the painting. Through this sophisticated use of chiaroscuro, Rembrandt was able to guide the viewer’s eye to grasp the image as a whole before focusing on individual details.1