Leonardo da Vinci Shadow Quotations

Shadow is the obstruction of light. Shadows appear to me to be of supreme importance in perspective, because, without them opaque and solid bodies will be ill defined; that which is contained within their outlines and their boundaries themselves will be ill-understood unless they are shown against a background of a different tone from themselves.

The imagination is to the effect as the shadow to the opaque body which causes the shadow.

Shadows which you see with difficulty, and whose boundaries you cannot define... these you should not represent as finished or sharply defined, for the result would be that your work would seem wooden.

Darkness is absence of light. Shadow is diminution of light.

A luminous body will appear more brilliant in proportion as it is surrounded by deeper shadow.