frescoes

frescoes

The artist carefully restores the ancient frescoes on the chapel wall.

Definition
  1. Noun (plural of ):
    • A technique of mural painting: "frescoes" are paintings executed on freshly applied lime plaster, where the pigments are absorbed into the wet plaster, becoming a permanent part of the wall surface.
    • Works of art: "frescoes" also refer to the paintings themselves, typically found on ceilings or walls in historical buildings, churches, or palaces.
Usage Examples
  • (Large-scale wall paintings on wet plaster.)
  • (Painted images on plaster walls from Roman times.)
Advanced Usage

  • "to paint in frescoes": to create murals using the fresco technique.

    • The church commissioned an artist to paint in frescoes the story of the saints. (To use the wet-plaster method for wall paintings.)

  • "frescoes of the Renaissance": a historical term referring to the many mural paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries in Italy.

    • The frescoes of the Renaissance are considered masterpieces of European art. (The wall paintings from that era are highly valued.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Fresco (n, singular): a single painting made using this technique.

    • The fresco in the chapel depicts the Last Supper. (A single wall painting.)

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

    • The frescoist spent months working on the cathedral's dome. (A painter skilled in the fresco method.)

  • Buon fresco (n): a subtype of fresco where paint is applied to wet plaster (true fresco).

    • Buon fresco is more durable than secco fresco, which is painted on dry plaster. (A specific technique within fresco painting.)
Synonyms
  • Mural: a large painting or artwork applied directly to a wall, often, but not always, using fresco technique.
  • Wall painting: a general term for any painting on a wall, including frescoes.
Related Idioms

  • "Frescoes of the past": a metaphorical phrase meaning memories or images from history that are vivid and lasting.

    • The old photographs were like frescoes of the past, preserving moments forever. (Enduring images from earlier times.)

  • "To be painted in fresco": to be created or recorded in a permanent, unchangeable way.

    • His legacy is painted in fresco on the walls of the museum. (His achievements are permanently recorded.)