# fresco

/ˈfɹɛskoʊ/ (US) · /fɹˈɛskəʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fresco
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. the artwork

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a painting created on a wall or ceiling by applying paint to wet plaster.

For teachers: a mural painting produced by applying water-based pigments to a surface of fresh, wet lime mortar.

- The old church is famous for its beautiful fresco of the sky on the ceiling.
- Restorers worked meticulously to preserve the sixteenth-century fresco, which had suffered significant water damage due to a leaking roof.

### 2. the technique

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the method of painting on wet plaster so the colors stay bright for a long time.

For teachers: the artistic method or medium of painting on freshly spread moist lime plaster.

- Art students often study fresco to understand how ancient artists decorated buildings.
- Mastering the art of fresco requires speed and precision, as the artist must complete the work before the plaster begins to set.

### 3. to paint a fresco

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

to paint a picture using the fresco method.

For teachers: to execute a painting using the fresco technique on a wall or ceiling.

- The artist was hired to fresco the entire lobby of the new museum.
- The chapel was frescoed by several different masters over the course of a decade, resulting in a fascinating blend of stylistic influences.

## Examples

- The artist spent months painting a beautiful fresco on the church ceiling.
- Restorers worked carefully to clean the Renaissance fresco without damaging the delicate layers of ancient plaster.
- The vibrant colors of the fresco remain remarkably preserved because the chemical bond formed between the pigment and the wet lime creates a surface resistant to fading over centuries.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.