secco

American  

[sek-oh, sek-kaw] / ˈsɛk oʊ, ˈsɛk kɔ /

noun

1. fresco secco.

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adjective

1. (of notes or passages in a musical score) played and released abruptly and without resonance.

secco British  

/ ˈsɛkəʊ /

noun

1. wall painting done on dried plaster with tempera or pigments ground in limewater Compare fresco

2. any wall painting other than true fresco

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Etymology

Origin of secco

1850–55; < Italian: dry; see sack ³

Example Sentences

In terms of lost art, nothing has received quite the press of Leonardo’s unfinished fresco secco.

From The Guardian • May 18, 2018

But it had been applied secco; now, after 400 years, its adhesion is fragile, and the crystals in some areas have been irreparably bleached to a dull gray by cleaning.

From Time Magazine Archive

Spectrophotometry images showed restorers where Michelangelo had used the secco technique -- adding color after the plaster had dried -- which requires more care in cleaning.

From Time Magazine Archive

Further touches may be put on a secco, on the dry plaster.

From Time Magazine Archive

The recitativo secco was accompanied by the harpsichord, at which the composer himself presided.

From The Opera A Sketch of the Development of Opera. With full Descriptions of all Works in the Modern Repertory. by Fuller-Maitland, J. A.