fresco

noun

fres·co ˈfre-(ˌ)skō

plural frescoes

Synonyms of fresco next

: the art of painting on freshly spread moist lime plaster with water-based pigments

: a painting executed in fresco

fresco transitive verb

Did you know?

If the word fresco brings to mind images of eating an alfresco meal—that is, a meal eaten outside “in the fresh air”—your gut is on the right track: fresco is Italian for “fresh,” and the culinary usage is relatively common in English. But what puts the “fresh” in the English fresco is not so appetizing: the name of this art form refers to the fresh plaster used in it. Fresco is an ancient art, used as early as the Minoan civilization on Crete, but it reached the height of its popularity during the Italian Renaissance of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Fresco comes in two types: in fresco secco (“dry fresco”), a dry wall is soaked in limewater, and lime-resistant pigments are then applied; in buon fresco (“good fresco”; buon fresco is also called “true” fresco), used by Michelangelo in his 16th century Sistine Chapel frescos, pigments are fused directly with wet plaster.

Did you know?

Fresco and the Art World

The Italian word fresco means “fresh” and comes from a Germanic word akin to the source of English fresh. In the Renaissance, pittura a fresco, meaning “painting freshly,” referred to paint applied while the plaster on the wall was still wet, as opposed to pittura a secco “painting dryly,” in which paint is applied when the plaster was dry. In English, fresco appears earliest as part of the phrase in fresco; it does not appear as a noun referring to a painting until 1670. A different sense of Italian fresco, meaning “fresh air,” appears in the phrase al fresco “outdoors,” borrowed into English as alfresco and used particularly in reference to dining outdoors.

Examples of fresco in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Other frescos show the sensual embrace of a satyr (a half-man, half-goat) and a nymph (a maiden goddess). —

Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Oct. 2024 Like its namesake in Istanbul, it was converted into a mosque by the Ottomans and retains many of the handsome frescoes and floor mosaics created by the early Christians. —

Joe Yogerst, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 The bar features two new large-scale paintings that Clemente created for the space, as well as a ceiling fresco. —

Kristen Tauer, WWD, 15 Oct. 2024 The 10-key property has been preserved, still showcasing grand brick hallways with arches and fresco murals that narrate diverse tales of Todos Santos’ history. —

Sunset Staff, Sunset Magazine, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fresco