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impasto

American  
[im-pas-toh, -pah-stoh] / ɪmˈpæs toʊ, -ˈpɑ stoʊ /

noun

Painting.
  1. the laying on of paint thickly.

  2. the paint so laid on.

  3. enamel or slip applied to a ceramic object to form a decoration in low relief.


impasto British  
/ ɪmˈpæstəʊ /

noun

  1. paint applied thickly, so that brush and palette knife marks are evident

  2. the technique of applying paint in this way

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of impasto

1775–85; < Italian, noun derivative of impastare to impaste

Vocabulary lists containing impasto

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

But the artist’s representational pictures retained elements of his abstractions, including their loose brushwork, thick impasto and a palette heavy on pink, red and black.

From Washington Post Apr. 18, 2023

It has David’s paintings, stained glass, the magnificent organ and an impasto of ceremonies and coronations that should, God and the restoration willing, run for ever.

From The Guardian Apr. 16, 2019

“A bird seems to have passed through the impasto with cream-colored screams and bitter claw-marks,” is how the poet and critic Frank O’Hara described the early works.

From New York Times Nov. 6, 2018

The paint was very palpable and objective; there was no real texture or impasto to it but it had a material presence.

From The New Yorker Jun. 5, 2017

For most of June and July he paints landscapes, thick with impasto, textured, colorful.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

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