fresco

American  

[fres-koh] / ˈfrɛs koʊ /

noun

plural

frescoes, frescos

1. Also called buon fresco.  Also called true fresco.  the art or technique of painting on a moist, plaster surface with colors ground up in water or a limewater mixture.

2. a picture or design so painted.

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verb (used with object)

frescoed, frescoing

1. to paint in fresco.

fresco British  

/ ˈfrɛskəʊ /

noun

1. a very durable method of wall-painting using watercolours on wet plaster or, less properly, dry plaster ( fresco secco ), with a less durable result

2. a painting done in this way

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fresco Cultural  

1. A painting on wet plaster. When the plaster dries, the painting is bonded to the wall. Fresco was a popular method for painting large murals during the Renaissance. The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci, is a fresco, as are the paintings by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel.

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Other Word Forms

• frescoer noun
• frescoist noun

Etymology

Origin of fresco

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Italian: “cool, fresh,” of Germanic origin; fresh

Explanation

Whether you've studied art history or not, you're probably familiar with the world's most famous fresco: Michelangelo's paintings on the walls and ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. To paint a fresco, you must apply paint to freshly applied plaster that is still wet, and you better get it right the first time. Too slow and the plaster hardens, and then you've got a lot of chipping away to do. Fresco comes from the Italian fresco, meaning "cool" or "fresh," which describes exactly the fast, unlabored technique required of fresco painting.

Example Sentences

Go the Capitol rotunda and look up at the dome, where Constantino Brumidi’s fresco The Apotheosis of Washington, painted during the Civil War, shows Washington in heaven, flanked by goddesses.

From Slate • Feb. 16, 2026

"Well, it really was Meloni but in the same style of the fresco that was there before," he told La Repubblica.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

Von Stuck delights in contrasts: On the “Orpheus wall,” he enthrones the mythical lyre-player above tamed animals in an architectural fresco based on Pompeian murals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

The store’s carnicería offers marinated meats, and the cremería features queso fresco and cotija.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026

I miss the hot sun and sweating all day and the beach and eating cold fresco with my friends and long walks up and down hills and Cola Lakay and deep-fried beef patties.

From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi

Related Words

• brush
• coat
• cover
• daub
• decorate
• depict
• design
• draw
• dye
• portray
• sketch
• tint
• wash