polychromy

American  

[pol-ee-kroh-mee] / ˈpɒl iˌkroʊ mi /

noun

1. the art of employing many colors in decoration, as in painting or architecture.

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polychromy British  

/ ˈpɒlɪˌkrəʊmɪ /

noun

1. decoration in many colours, esp in architecture or sculpture

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Other Word Forms

• polychromous adjective

Etymology

Origin of polychromy

First recorded in 1855–60; polychrome + -y ³

Example Sentences

While this new monochrome work — inspired by the expression of yin and yang — is more tranquil than Brown’s usual party of polychromy, his paintings still dance with an appealing musicality.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 20, 2023

She was one of some 17 reconstructions — made circa 2005-2019 — in a new exhibition, “Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color,” which evokes how the Greeks and Romans painted their sculptures, a practice called polychromy.

From New York Times • Aug. 17, 2022

This spirit is in the polychromy of Islamic buildings, in the working of stone to look like tapestry, in the appearance of geometric evocations of infinite harmony in the middle of cacophonous towns.

From The Guardian • Aug. 29, 2020

The first time I saw a statue that had been painted to approximate ancient polychromy, I was in Nashville, of all places.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 22, 2018

Our psychological state even now, alone prevents it, for we are rich in materials and methods to make such polychromy possible.

From Architecture and Democracy by Bragdon, Claude Fayette