Frescos (or frescoes) are wall or ceiling paintings created by applying pigments onto fresh, wet plaster so that the image literally becomes part of the wall as it dries and hardens.

What are frescos? (Quick Scoop)

At its core, a fresco is both:

  • A technique: painting with water-based pigments on moist lime plaster.
  • The finished artwork: the mural that results from this process.

The word comes from Italian “fresco,” meaning “fresh,” referring to the fresh plaster used during painting.

Why frescos are special

  • The pigments soak into the wet plaster and bond chemically as it dries, making the painting very durable and matte in appearance.
  • Because the wall and the image fuse together, frescos age with the building itself rather than flaking off like regular paint on a surface.
  • Artists have used frescos for thousands of years in tombs, palaces, and churches, from ancient Egypt and Crete to Renaissance Italy.

Main types of fresco

  • Buon fresco (true fresco): Pigments in water are applied directly onto wet plaster; this is the classic, most durable method (used, for example, in the Sistine Chapel ceiling).
  • Fresco secco (dry fresco): Painting on dry plaster, often to add details or colors that do not work well in wet plaster; less durable on its own.
  • Mezzo fresco (medium): Paint applied when the plaster is almost dry, extending the time an artist can work on a section.

Famous and historic examples

  • Ancient tomb and palace walls in Egypt and Minoan Crete show early uses of the fresco technique.
  • Roman wall paintings at Pompeii, including decorative scenes and illusionistic “fake” architecture, are classic frescos.
  • Renaissance masterpieces like Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling and many church interiors across Europe are painted in buon fresco.

In short: Frescos are long-lasting wall or ceiling paintings made by putting color into fresh plaster so the image becomes part of the architecture itself.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.