Saturday, September 18, 2010

Term for the Day: Impasto

Sunrise, 1826
Adolphe Monticelli
National Gallery, London
The Italian word meaning “dough” or “mixture” is used in the art world to refer to the heavy use and build up of paint in a painting.  The artist will apply the paint roughly—sometimes even mixing the color on the canvas itself—and will move the pigment around with wide strokes or the use of a palette knife to build thick layers of the medium.  The overall effect of impasto is one of depth and movement.  While impasto is largely seen in contemporary art, it did have its place in classical and traditional painting—employed either as the prominent painting technique in a piece or in conjunction with other, varied brushstrokes. 

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