Due to the era in which artworks would have been created the most likely form of artificial light would have been candle light so I felt that to begin with I would like to experiment using candles. Trying different sizes and different quantities but always from one location and at the same distance from the subject.
I had decided early on that I wanted to recreate the effect of Chiaroscuro with the use of light and dark areas and masses of negative space around the outside of the subject. The golden properties of the candlelight were what I was after. The use of candlelight extended the exposure times but the results were worth it.
Rembrandt 1606-1699
The contact sheet below are of the range of images shot using candlelight. The red boxed images are rejected, the yellow images are when finding white balance suitability and the green image at the end is one I’ve settled upon.
Andrews Masters Journey 