Facts about Fresco Techniques in Renaissance

1. 05

   Lime plaster used in buon fresco slowly carbonates as it dries, chemically locking mineral pigments into the wall surface in a process called carbonatation.

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2. 04

   Michelangelo used the buon fresco technique for the Sistine Chapel ceiling, mixing lime plaster with sand to create a workable surface for his pigments.

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3. 03

   Renaissance fresco painters had to complete each section of painting within hours, working only on the area of fresh plaster that could dry in a single day, called a giornata.

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4. 02

   Secco fresco, painted onto dry plaster, was used in the Renaissance but proved far less durable than buon fresco over centuries.

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5. 01

   Buon fresco technique requires painting directly onto wet plaster, called intonaco, so pigments bond permanently with the wall as it dries.

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