gesso

American  

[jes-oh] / ˈdʒɛs oʊ /

noun

plural

gessoes

1. gypsum or plaster of Paris prepared with glue for use as a surface for painting.

2. any plasterlike preparation to prepare a surface for painting, gilding, etc.

3. a prepared surface of plaster or plasterlike material for painting, gilding, etc.

---

gesso British  

/ ˈdʒɛsəʊ /

noun

1. a white ground of plaster and size, used esp in the Middle Ages and Renaissance to prepare panels or canvas for painting or gilding

2. any white substance, esp plaster of Paris, that forms a ground when mixed with water

---

Etymology

Origin of gesso

1590–1600; < Italian < Latin gypsum gypsum

Explanation

Gesso is a substance similar to white paint that artists use to prepare a surface for painting. Gesso is typically made of glue, chalk, and white pigment. Before you paint a portrait on a square of canvas or a piece of wood, you may want to coat your painting surface with gesso. After it dries, gesso creates an even base that holds paint well — similar to the primer house painters use before applying paint. Gesso means "chalk" or "plaster" in Italian, from the Latin gypsum, also "plaster," and the Greek root gypsos, "chalk."

Example Sentences

On the surface, the colorful landscapes and portraits he paints on the raw canvas he treats with gesso primer and Japanese bookbinding glue are a joyous experience.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2023

Today, painters most often use an acrylic polymer known as gesso, but 200 years ago, artists turned to a motley variety of substances.

From Science Magazine • May 23, 2023

Marble dust mixed into gesso gives a weathered look to such pastels as “Flamenco Dancer,” which portrays a single red flower.

From Washington Post • Dec. 30, 2022

The shield was made about 1535 of wood, linen, gesso, gold and pigment and measures 24 inches in diameter.

From New York Times • Sep. 13, 2021

We spent months experimenting with the methods the old masters used to create real gesso.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys