Definition

1. Noun:

   • A durable method of painting on a wall: A technique where water-based pigments are applied onto freshly laid, wet lime plaster. As the plaster dries, the painting becomes a permanent part of the wall.
   • A mural done with this technique: A painting or artwork created using the fresco method.

2. Verb:

   • To paint in fresco: To execute a painting using the fresco technique on a wall or ceiling.

Examples

• Noun:

  • The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is a famous fresco painted by Michelangelo.
  • Art historians study the fresco to understand Renaissance techniques.

• Verb:

  • The artist was commissioned to fresco the chapel's interior walls.
  • They learned how to fresco during their apprenticeship in Italy.

Advanced Usage

• "Buon fresco" (true fresco): Refers to the technique of painting on wet plaster, which is considered the most authentic and durable form.

  • The masterpiece was created using buon fresco, ensuring its colors remained vibrant for centuries.

• "Fresco secco" (dry fresco): A technique where paint is applied to dry plaster, which is less durable than true fresco.

  • The lower sections of the mural, done in fresco secco, have deteriorated more than the upper parts.

Variants and Related Words

• Frescoed (adj.): Describes a surface that has been painted with frescoes.

  • The frescoed walls of the palace were breathtaking.

• Frescoist (n.): An artist who specializes in painting frescoes.

  • The frescoist spent years restoring the ancient murals.

Synonyms

• Mural: A large painting on a wall (this is a broader term; a fresco is a specific type of mural).
• Wall painting: A general term for any painting on a wall.

Related Phrases

• In fresco: Using the fresco technique.
  • The scene was executed in fresco by a master of the craft.

Noun

1. a durable method of painting on a wall by using watercolors on wet plaster
2. a mural done with watercolors on wet plaster

Verb

1. paint onto wet plaster on a wall