Aahana Swrup
‘ChiaroScuro’ is an Italian crime series that revolves around an odd detective duo with different backgrounds and vastly different approaches to the crime scene. Cosmo Speranza is an art expert, with highly perceptive skills that help him reliably discern an actual famous artwork from a forgery. Thus, when a serial killer takes to the museums and art galleries of Rome, staging their victims in imitations of paintings, the local police department finds itself in need of the art expert’s consultancy.
Cosmo is paired up with Officer Angelo Tiberi, whose by-the-book personality clashes with the artist’s knack for rule-breaking. As the duo begins working cases together, frequently running into the mysterious serial killer’s handiwork, they start to uncover a long-buried conspiracy that seems to have a connection with Cosmo’s long-dead father. The show employs a compelling buddy-comedy formula and delves into a captivating mystery that remains intricately woven into the tapestry of Rome’s rich art history.
ChiaroScuro is a Fictional Story in Which Italy’s Artistic Heritage Plays a Primary Role
‘ChiaroScuro’ charts a fictitious storyline that is devoid of any basis in reality. The protagonists of the series, Cosmo and Angelo, as well as the cases they investigate, are all works of fiction credited to screenwriters including Umberto Gnoli, Michela Straniero, Francesco Arlanch, Elena Bucaccio, and Silvia Leuzzi. In real life, there have been no records of a serial killer in Rome or elsewhere whose M.O. included such a direct and blatant connection to art history. Similarly, there are no well-known instances of an art expert with a shady background being hired by law enforcement authorities to a similar extent and within a similar jurisdiction as Cosmo. Therefore, the elements that inform the majority of the storytelling in the series remain confined within the narrative’s fictionalized boundaries.
However, the show extracts a link to real life through other means. In the series, Cosmo and Angelo routinely find themselves involved in cases with connections to artworks and locations that are tied to Italy’s rich historical and cultural heritage. Paintings by recognizable artists like Artemisia Gentileschi, Caravaggio, and more, often in the form of masterful replicas, are intertwined into the storylines. Likewise, the criminal investigations consistently take the crime-solving duo into prominent locations like the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Istituto Centrale per il Restauro, MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Art, and more. Consequently, while the show lacks a direct connection to any true crime events, it retains a strong connection to the artistic world. This allows the story to equip the Italian city’s world-renowned artistic culture at the forefront of its fictional storylines.
ChiaroScuro Presents a Familiar Buddy Cop Dynamic Through Angelo and Cosmo
One of the defining aspects of ‘ChiaroScuro’ stems from the dynamic established between its two protagonists. In the show, Angelo and Cosmo are introduced as an unlikely pair forced into a partnership by external circumstances. Naturally, this leads to frequent clashes, usually born from their contrasting personalities. While Angelo neatly fits into his cop persona, upholding legal and ethical standards, Cosmo, who runs in dubious circles in his free time, has laxer principles and morals that can bend depending on the situation. Consequently, this stark difference in personalities informs the majority of the story’s comedic and sentimental identity.
Over the years, this type of buddy-cop dynamic has been a staple in pop culture. Movie franchises like ‘Men in Black,’ ‘Rush Hour,’ and more are prominent examples of the same. Likewise, shows like ‘Psych,’ ‘The X-Files,’ ‘Lucifer,’ and more also employ the same character dynamic as a central part of their narratives. In the case of ‘ChiaroScuro,’ a more tangible inspiration seems to have been taken from actors Bud Spencer and Terence Hill, a beloved part of Italian film history. The pair of actors are well-known for their frequent collaboration as a comedic duo in spaghetti Western films from the 1960s well into the 80s and 90s. Spencer and Hill’s influence on Italian cinema remains evident in contemporary media and naturally becomes a foundational influence on Angelo and Cosmo’s relationship. Thus, despite the fictionality of this pairing, their dynamic remains grounded in a sense of familiarity.
Cosmo Speranza is a Fictional Art Consultant
Much like the overall narrative in ‘ChiaroScuro,’ its protagonist, Cosmo Speranza, is fictional and created in service of the series. However, while his work with the police department may be fabricated, his inclusion in criminal investigations becomes a vital tool in showcasing the prevalence of art-related crime in Italy. The country, known for its rich artistic history, frequently deals with criminal cases that involve illegal excavation of antiquities, art theft, smuggling, and forgeries. In turn, Italy is also home to an elite police squad specifically dedicated to combating the illegal art trade.
The specialized police force is the Italian Carabinieri Art Squad. It was created in 1969 and continues to remain a notable pillar in the country’s law enforcement system. The existence of such a department highlights the frequency of art crime in the country. Thus, the idea of a police department at the heart of Rome hiring an art expert as a special consultant remains less than outlandish. Even so, the details of Cosmo’s life as an art consultant and, particularly, his work with the police have no comparable counterparts in real life. Ultimately, the character remains devoid of any tangible realism.
Read More: ChiaroScuro Ending Explained: Who is the Serial Killer?
