Counter-Light, Reflection, and Variety in Narrative Pictures
Advice to the painter: give figures as many lights and shadows as the objects that made them
An all-text page gathering several precepts on reflected light and its use in painting. Leonardo defines counter-light (contralume), reflection, or reverberation, and rules that reflected light on a surface is dimmer than air-light in proportion as it is itself dimmer than the air. He then charges the painter of narrative pictures (istorie) to give figures as much variety of light and shadow as the objects around them, avoiding a general manner, and closes with observations on how sunlit countryside appears from the shadowed and the sunward side, and on things lit by air without sun.
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Counter-light, reflection, and reverberation defined
When a particular light lights its object, and opposite that object stands something bright, also lit by the same light, there arises the counter-light — that is, reflection or reverberation. Reflected light clothing a surface is less bright than air-light by as much as it is itself less bright than the air.
To the painter of istorie: shun a general manner
And you, painter, who make narrative pictures, give your figures as many varieties of light and shadow as there are varied objects that produced them, and do not use a general manner. The surface of every body partakes of as many colours as there are objects standing before it.
Sunlit countryside seen from the shadow and sunward sides
Countryside lit by the sun casts very dark shadows: seen from the side opposite the sun it looks darkest and distant things seem near, but seen along the sun's own line it shows without shadows, and near things seem remote and unknown in shape. A thing lit by air without sun is darkest where it sees least sky.