It takes light for the shadow to form. Shadow formed by the light has been a concept that ascribed a meaning for humans starting in the early ages. Shadows, which the first man described as a divine phenomenon, also have an important place in the history of art. The first people attributed divine power on their shadows and believed they gained life by drawing them from their edges onto cave walls. Shadow has been a technique for the artists for many years afterwards. They have developed a technique of drawing portraits by drawing from the edges of their shadows, which are reflected on the canvas or plane. The fear, adrenaline and delusion of shadows also provide an inspiration for artists. The illusion of shadow is also emphasized in the metaphor described in Plato's allegory of the cave, in which prisoners make the shadows they see on the wall identical to real life, and in which some prisoners cannot be convinced that shadows are not real by the other prisoners who experienced the real life out of prison. In this context, the present study examined Plato's allegory of the cave and the artists who used shadows in art history as the main element in their works to exploit the misleading properties of shadows. Within the scope of the article, the concept of shadow were examined through; Plato's allegory of the cave and Picasso in the art history and, the works of Giorgio De Chirico, Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Kare Walker, Tim Noble and Sue Webster for the purpose of clarifying the links between them.


Keywords: Shadow, Art History, Plato's Allegory Of The Cave, artists