--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Darkness is absence of light. Shadow is…" description: "\"Darkness is absence of light. Shadow is diminution of light.\" — Leonardo da Vinci" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/leonardo-da-vinci-330_absence_darkness-is-absence-of-light-shadow-is-d_2692507.jpg" --- # Darkness is absence of light. Shadow is diminution of light. ![“Darkness is absence of light. Shadow is diminution of light.” quote by Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/leonardo-da-vinci-330_absence_darkness-is-absence-of-light-shadow-is-d_2692507.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/leonardo-da-vinci-330_absence_darkness-is-absence-of-light-shadow-is-d_2692507.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/leonardo-da-vinci-330_absence_darkness-is-absence-of-light-shadow-is-d_2692507.jpg) > “Darkness is absence of light. Shadow is diminution of light.” [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Light defines darkness; shadows are reduced light. **In simple terms:** Darkness lacks light; shadows are dimmed light. Key Takeaway Recognize the role of light. Themes per perception physics Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical scientific When to use this quote - photography - architecture - visual arts - science education Key Concepts optics contrast Questions to Reflect On - How does light influence your mood? - What can shadows reveal? A Different Perspective Shadows can also symbolize depth, not just reduction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Darkness Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness-absence-313860/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Light Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-shadow/) [Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow/) [Shadow Diminution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow-diminution-2669870/) ## Related quotes > [Shadow is the diminution alike of light and of darkness, and stands between darkness and light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/shadow-is-the-diminution-alike-of-light-and-of-darkness-and-stands/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [She may be lying in bed reading a book, she may be making love with a prize fighter, or she may be running like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/she-may-be-lying-in-bed-reading-a-book-she-may-be-making-love-with-a/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [Darkness is the absence of light. Absences do not exist. Sin does not exist .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/darkness-is-the-absence-of-light-absences-do-not-exist-sin-does-not/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“Darkness is the absence of light. Therefore, darkness is always fleeing from where light is and scurrying off to where it is not. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/darkness-is-the-absence-of-light-therefore-darkness-is-always-fleeing/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Even in art, there is no light without shadows, and no shadows are cast without some light. Even the shadow of Adolf Hitler is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-frank/even-in-art-there-is-no-light-without-shadows-and-no-shadows-are-cast/) [Hans Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-frank/) > [“There's a light shining in him, moving him forward: the light of freedom. That's what draws all of us to follow, to take risks,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliet-marillier/there-s-a-light-shining-in-him-moving-him-forward-the-light-of/) [Juliet Marillier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliet-marillier/) > [All the masterpieces of art contain both light and shadow. A happy life is not one filled with only sunshine, but one which uses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/all-the-masterpieces-of-art-contain-both-light-and-shadow-a-happy/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“There is light in the shadow just as there is shadow in the light and although many disclaim these shadows as everything unpleasant in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kensi-brianne-smith/there-is-light-in-the-shadow-just-as-there-is-shadow-in-the-light-and/) [Kensi Brianne Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kensi-brianne-smith/) > [“Until we understand what the land is, we are at odds with everything we touch. And to come to that understanding it is necessary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/until-we-understand-what-the-land-is-we-are-at-odds-with-everything/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“Darkness is the absence of light. Happiness is the absence of pain. Anger is the absence of joy. Jealousy is the absence of confidence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-bowen/darkness-is-the-absence-of-light-happiness-is-the-absence-of-pain/) [Jess Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-bowen/) > [“Evil is a word we use to describe the absence of Good, just as we use the word darkness to describe the absence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/evil-is-a-word-we-use-to-describe-the-absence-of-good-just-as-we-use/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [“Darkness is the absence of light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-ravikant/darkness-is-the-absence-of-light/) [Kamal Ravikant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-ravikant/) > [Darkness is the absence of light so it doesn't chase it but rather it just is. Light is circumstantial and brought by something where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/darkness-is-the-absence-of-light-so-it-doesn-t-chase-it-but-rather-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Darkness is an absence of light. Ego is an absence of awareness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/darkness-is-an-absence-of-light-ego-is-an-absence-of-awareness/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [“Darkness is not the absence of light. The light will always be there. Darkness only occurs when you move far away from the light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-m-lubao/darkness-is-not-the-absence-of-light-the-light-will-always-be-there/) [Nelson M. Lubao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-m-lubao/) ## More by Leonardo da Vinci > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/a-painter-should-begin-every-canvas-with-a-wash-of-black-because-all/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Nothing can be love or hated unless it is first known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/nothing-can-be-love-or-hated-unless-it-is-first-known/) [Leonardo Da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [An arch consists of two weaknesses which, leaning one against the other, make a strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/an-arch-consists-of-two-weaknesses-which-leaning-one-against-the/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [But to me all sciences seem vain and full of error that are not born of experience, mother of all certainty, and do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/but-to-me-all-sciences-seem-vain-and-full-of-error-that-are-not-born/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [“Time stays long enough for those who use it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/time-stays-long-enough-for-those-who-use-it/) [Leonardo Da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [It is ordained that to the ambitious, who derive no satisfaction from the gifts of life and the beauty of the world, life shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/it-is-ordained-that-to-the-ambitious-who-derive-no-satisfaction-from/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Be a mirror, absorb everything around you and still remain the same](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/be-a-mirror-absorb-everything-around-you-and-still-remain-the-same/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Your brain is much better than you think; just use it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/your-brain-is-much-better-than-you-think-just-use-it/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Necessity is a guardian in Nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/necessity-is-a-guardian-in-nature/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does nature because in her inventions nothing is lacking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/human-subtlety-will-never-devise-an-invention-more-beautiful-more/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/people-reveal-themselves-completely-only-when-they-are-thrown-out-of/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [To be a winner you must want to win but must know of the chance of losing and must not fear of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/to-be-a-winner-you-must-want-to-win-but-must-know-of-the-chance-of/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Nature is so delightful and abundant in its variations that among trees of the same kind there would not be found one which nearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/nature-is-so-delightful-and-abundant-in-its-variations-that-among/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Wisdom is the daughter of experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/wisdom-is-the-daughter-of-experience/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) [Explore all 664 Leonardo da Vinci quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) ## More Absence quotes > [Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howell/distance-sometimes-endears-friendship-and-absence-sweeteneth-it/) [James Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howell/) > [The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. This is the fun, the glory, the pleasure. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-dusenberry/the-work-the-work-the-work-this-is-what-the-business-is-all-about/) [Phil Dusenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-dusenberry/) > [Total depravity means the entire absence of holiness, not the highest intensity of sin. A totally depraved man is not as bad as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/total-depravity-means-the-entire-absence-of-holiness-not-the-highest/) [William Greenough Thayer Shedd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/) > [Local and state governments have outrun the federal government. The EPA has served notice that it will enact a rule requiring CO2 reductions by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/local-and-state-governments-have-outrun-the-federal-government-the/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Of all the bewildering things about a new country, the absence of human landmarks is one of the most depressing and disheartening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/of-all-the-bewildering-things-about-a-new-country-the-absence-of/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately. Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [The absence of God in most spheres of life is perceived to be normal, and even Christians feel it as normal - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-absence-of-god-in-most-spheres-of-life-is-perceived-to-be-normal/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/every-person-needs-to-take-one-day-away-a-day-in-which-one/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“I was thinking how most people don't make you feel much of anything at all. Don't make you feel like time spent with them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-lotter/i-was-thinking-how-most-people-don-t-make-you-feel-much-of-anything/) [Jane Lotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-lotter/) > [Cooperation isn't the absence of conflict but a means of managing conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/cooperation-isn-t-the-absence-of-conflict-but-a-means-of-managing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [Many are observing Ferguson and witnessing the anger, demonstrations, looting and vandalism and calling for quiet. But quiet isn't enough. The absence of noise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/many-are-observing-ferguson-and-witnessing-the-anger-demonstrations/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [Will capitalist economies operate at full employment in the absence of routine intervention? Certainly not. Are deviations from full employment a social problem? Obviously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/will-capitalist-economies-operate-at-full-employment-in-the-absence/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) > [We must begin by acknowledging that there is a complete absence of two things in Indian Society. One of these is equality. On the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-r-ambedkar/we-must-begin-by-acknowledging-that-there-is-a-complete-absence-of/) [B. R. Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) [Browse all 2,057 Absence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Darkness is absence of light. Shadow is diminution of light.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonardo da Vinci" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/darkness-is-absence-of-light-shadow-is-diminution-of-light/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/darkness-is-absence-of-light-shadow-is-diminution-of-light/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/leonardo-da-vinci-330_absence_darkness-is-absence-of-light-shadow-is-d_2692507.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/leonardo-da-vinci-330_absence_darkness-is-absence-of-light-shadow-is-d_2692507.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/leonardo-da-vinci-330_absence_darkness-is-absence-of-light-shadow-is-d_2692507.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Darkness is absence of light. Shadow is diminution of light.” — Leonardo da Vinci", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Leonardo da Vinci", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Darkness is absence of light. Shadow...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/darkness-is-absence-of-light-shadow-is-diminution-of-light/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/darkness-is-absence-of-light-shadow-is-diminution-of-light/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```