Within many of his paintings, he hid the names of his family members as well as Christian messages and symbolism such as the fish that he painted under his every signature. His nickname, "painter of light," is likely a reference to the Renaissance; the era where the techniques of point of view and specifically light and DP LED Lighting Tube Fixtures Factory shadow depiction were technically developed and perfected. Oil Portrait PaintingIn this era, the technique chiaroscuro was born. Chiaroscuro is a technique that utilizes light and dark shades and shadows to create realistic depth through usage of these various contrasting tonalities. The discovery of this way of painting light and shadow was drastic in comparison to the flat Byzantine style used throughout the middle ages.Portrait Oil Painting The representation of "God" through use of light is seen in some Renaissance paintings; a homage that Kinkade brought from this era and to his modern works of art. This is by far the biggest similarity between Kinkade's work and Renaissance paintings. Though he enjoyed the title "painter of light," I do not think Kinkade quite measures up to Rembrandt, the artist formally known as the "Painter of Light and Shadow." His work more closely aligns with another famous "painter of light" from the Romantic Movement, Joseph Mallord William Turner. While Rembrandt is considered one of the most influential European artists of all time and Turner is credited for redefining modern landscape painting, Kinkade will surely have a place in art history but not for redefining or advancing art aesthetically as these aforementioned masters had.Thomas Kinkade was one of the top grossing commercial artists of all time. He brought art into the homes of millions, many of whom could not afford to buy originals. His line of products varied as much as their price range and spanned from various collectables, postcards, books, and jigsaw puzzles all the way to original oil paintings; thus making it easy for people of all income brackets to afford.Because of the wide ranging commercialism and sunny disposition of Kinkade's artwork, some people thought of his work as nothing more than kitsch. The opinion that his work was superficial and lacked depth came mostly from art critics and members of the "art community." It seems a bit snobbish to be offended by Kinkade's artwork on the merit of its wide-ranging availability and the interest that regular folks took in it. It was art that everyone could purchase and enjoy. His talent is indisputable and obvious from his technical application of paint alone, his use of light, shadow and perspective.