or CLAIR-OBSCURE, in painting, the art of distributing to advantage the lights and shadows of a piece, both with regard to the ease of the eye, and the effect of the whole piece.

or CHIARO-SCURO, is also used to signify a design consisting only of two colours, most usually black and white, but sometimes black and yellow; or it is a design washed only with one colour, the shadows being of a dusky brown colour, and the lights heightened up with white.

The word is also applied to two prints of two colours, taken off at twice, whereof there are volumes in the cabinets of the curious in prints.

CLARY; in botany. See Salvia.