How did chiaroscuro change the appearance of the figures in Duccio’s Rucellai Madonna?

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Duccio: The Virgin Enthroned with the Child, Surrounded by the Patrons of Siena, Angels, and Saints — Duccio *The Virgin Enthroned with the Child, Surrounded by the Patrons of Siena, Angels, and Saints*, central panel of the *Maestà*, tempera on wood panel by Duccio, 1308–11; in the Siena Opera della Metropolitana, Italy.

In the Rucellai Madonna, Duccio utilized chiaroscuro—the technique of using light and dark shading—to move beyond traditional flat representations. By applying this modulation of light and shadow, he gave the bodies of the Madonna and the infant Christ a realistic treatment, which successfully created the illusion of three-dimensionality.1

This approach marked a significant departure from the more stylized, two-dimensional figures common in the Byzantine style of the era, allowing the figures to appear more physically present and convincing within the composition.12