A middle key painting is centered in the tonal continuum like a full range painting, but limits tonal variation by eliminating the extremes close to black and white. A scene may be depicted in this manner which is lit by soft, diffused light that creates neither glare nor heavy shadow. The lack of strong, directional light also tends to limit chroma (color intensity).
Light sources may be indoor (artist's studio or model in naturally observed living/working areas) where the light source is indirect and of acceptible strength. The light source may also be exterior on a cloudy, overcast day during any season. In summer, the hazy sun is more likely to fill shadows with a warm glow, whereas an overcast autumn day may create flat lighting that will take greater skill to render.
This
type of flat lighting is evident in this detail of Alma-Tadema's painting
"A Kiss." Notice the majority colors all fall within the middle
tone. Those darks that do exist are local color and not shadows. The work
is plagued by neither excessive shadow nor excessive light, allowing adequate
color and detail throughout the image.
The
warm light of the late afternoon sky fills "the Gallery of HMS Calcutta,"
as painted here by J.J. Tissot. But notice how the white and light blue
dresses are painted in the mid tone range; there is no color close to white
in this picture, and only a few areas of local color come close to black.
The effect of these images is calming, the subtle greyed tones relaxing in their lack of intensity and contrast. These are the hazy days of summer, or the soft diffused light of evening, or the greyed calm of a winter's day.
One
such winter's day was that of the martyrdom of "St. Eulalia,"
(J.W. Waterhouse) when the early Church perceived the snowfall as a divine
shroud to cover the outstretched body of the martyr that was left exposed
in the Roman forum. The calm and solemn occasion is communicated through
the middle key, where even the snow is gray.
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