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How does buon fresco differ from fresco secco?

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Charles Sprague Pearce: Religion — Mural Detail of *Religion*, mural in lunette from the Family and Education series by Charles Sprague Pearce, 1897; in the Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.

The primary difference between buon fresco and fresco secco lies in the state of the plaster during application and how the pigment bonds with the surface.

Buon Fresco ("True" Fresco): This technique involves applying water-based pigments directly onto freshly laid, wet plaster (intonaco). As the plaster dries, the pigment particles become chemically bound or cemented into the wall itself, making the painting an integral part of the surface. This process is highly durable but requires the artist to work quickly in sections known as giornate ("a day's work") because mistakes cannot be easily corrected without applying a fresh layer of plaster.12
Fresco Secco ("Dry" Fresco): This method is performed on a dry, finished wall that is soaked with limewater. Because the pigments are applied to a dry surface, they do not penetrate the plaster; instead, they form a surface film. While useful for adding fine details or retouching buon fresco, this layer is not as permanently bonded to the wall and is more prone to flaking over time.31