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The aesthetic techniques used in The Expanse are indicative of the infinite space that is an essential and ever‐present character in the show. Even the claustrophobic condition of the Belters on Ceres, Ganymede, and Eros points to the infinite space outside. The design of the show keeps infinite space always present.

In the opening credits, the directors and art designers of The Expanse give us the setting of the story in a context of infinite space. Views of several planets—Earth, Mars, Saturn—are framed by black spaces that communicate that these huge objects are mere specks of activity in an endless darkness. The opening shot of Saturn might be the best example. The planet is offset in the camera frame—set to the left side as we look out over the famous rings of the planet. What then is the center of the camera’s focus? The darkness beyond Saturn. The cinematography and set design of The Expanse make extensive use of chiaroscuro (ke‐ah‐ro‐skoor‐o)—a famous artistic technique in the history of painting. The use of dark shadow, and the contrast of light and dark, create the illusion of volume in three dimensions on a canvas. If you have seen a painting (that is, not one of his many portraits) by Rembrandt or by Caravaggio, you have likely seen chiaroscuro used.

Of course, the aesthetics of the show are not an accident. Chiaroscuro was a technique developed in the seventeenth century. The many references to Don Quixote in The Expanse point to the same century. Season one, episode one is named “Dulcinea.” Dulcinea is the love interest that the delusional Don Quixote de la Mancha idolizes in the story. Season one, episode seven is named “Windmills”—the monsters that the delusional Don Quixote fights on horseback. Rocinante is the name of Don Quixote’s horse. And, if that were not enough, Holden’s mother gifts him a copy of the novel in season four. All of these references bring our attention to the idea that Holden may be a deluded hero on a quest in a universe he does not understand.

However, they also link the show to a time when the human race first confronted the idea of infinite space—the seventeenth century.

Artistic techniques, like technology, forms of language or music, are expressive of the mind of the age from which they arise. The use of chiaroscuro in the show is compelling visually and situates the viewer in two times—the twenty‐fourth century of The Expanse and seventeenth‐century Europe. The technique was born of a time when the idea of the infinite space of the universe was working its way into the human imagination. The Expanse plays with the idea of infinity and makes it a theme and element in the thoughts and actions of the characters. A quick detour to the seventeenth century will help us understand this theme of the show better.