impasto
Americannoun
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the laying on of paint thickly.
-
the paint so laid on.
-
enamel or slip applied to a ceramic object to form a decoration in low relief.
noun
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paint applied thickly, so that brush and palette knife marks are evident
-
the technique of applying paint in this way
Etymology
Origin of impasto
1775–85; < Italian, noun derivative of impastare to impaste
Vocabulary lists containing impasto
National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 3
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Visual Arts - High School
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Art History
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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.
Was it possible that van Gogh had deliberately added handfuls of sand and pebbles to his paint to thicken his impasto and give it a grittier texture?
From New York Times ● May 11, 2023
But just as “Zinnias” shows Van Gogh’s early use of impasto, here you can see his distinctive sense of motion.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 17, 2022
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
To make up for it, he paints with even heavier strokes, the impasto thick and thicker.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
