fresco secco

painting

Also known as: dry fresco, lime-painting, secco fresco

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Last updated

June 26, 2026

Quick Summary

Fresco secco, meaning "dry fresco," is a painting technique where pigments are applied to a dry, finished wall that has been soaked with limewater. Unlike true fresco (buon fresco), the colors in fresco secco do not penetrate the plaster but form a surface film, similar to other paint types. This method is useful for detailed work and for retouching true frescoes.12

While buon fresco involves applying pigments to wet plaster, allowing them to bind with the wall as it dries, fresco secco is applied to a surface that is already dry. This technique was prevalent in medieval and early Renaissance art and was revived by artists in the 18th century. Although the colors fuse with the surface, they can eventually flake off over time.132

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painting
Fresco secco
In the fresco secco, or lime-painting, method, the plastered surface of a wall is soaked with slaked lime. Lime-resistant pigments are applied swiftly before the plaster sets. Secco colors dry lighter than their tone at the time of application, producing the pale, matte,…
Read More
In the fresco secco, or lime-painting, method, the plastered surface of a wall is soaked with slaked lime. Lime-resistant pigments are applied swiftly before the plaster sets. Secco colors dry lighter than their tone at the time of application, producing the pale, matte,…
Read More

fresco painting
Fresco secco
Fresco secco (“dry fresco”) is a process that dispenses with the complex preparation of the wall with wet plaster. Instead, dry, finished walls are soaked with limewater and painted while wet. The colors do not penetrate into the plaster but form a surface film, like…
Read More
Fresco secco (“dry fresco”) is a process that dispenses with the complex preparation of the wall with wet plaster. Instead, dry, finished walls are soaked with limewater and painted while wet. The colors do not penetrate into the plaster but form a surface film, like…
Read More

art conservation and restoration
Wall paintings
In fresco secco (“dry”), the artist applies paints to already dried plaster. The stability of these paintings depends upon the presence of a binding medium—such as egg, oil, gum, or glue—mixed with the pigments to adhere them adequately to the wall surface. This type of painting is…
Read More
In fresco secco (“dry”), the artist applies paints to already dried plaster. The stability of these paintings depends upon the presence of a binding medium—such as egg, oil, gum, or glue—mixed with the pigments to adhere them adequately to the wall surface. This type of painting is…
Read More