What does secco mean?
Secco is an art-historical term for painting with pigment on dry plaster, especially on a wall or ceiling. A secco may be used as a noun for such a painting and as an adjective describing the method or the work. The word comes from Italian, where secco means “dry,” and belongs to the same Latin root as English words such as siccate and siccation. Secco differs from fresco because its pigments are placed on dry plaster rather than becoming chemically bound to wet plaster as it dries. In a secco painting, the pigment generally requires a separate binder, such as glue or egg, which can make the finished surface more vulnerable to moisture and deterioration. The term is specialized and uncommon in general speech, but it is useful when discussing artistic technique, mural conservation, and the construction of painted architectural surfaces.
A painting, especially on a wall or ceiling, executed with pigment applied to dry plaster.
"The mural is a rare secco that has retained much of its original color."
The plural is seccos.
Of, relating to, or executed by the method of applying pigment to dry plaster.
"Restorers found that the secco painting was more fragile than the adjacent fresco."
The plural is used when referring to multiple paintings executed on dry plaster.
"The exhibition includes several religious seccos recovered from the monastery."
A secco paints on a dry wall; a true fresco becomes part of the wall itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does secco come from?
The word was borrowed from Italian secco, meaning “dry,” a usage derived from the Latin adjective siccus. The Latin root also underlies English forms such as siccate, siccation, and siccative. In English, secco became established as a specialized term for painting on dry plaster.
Related word forms
How secco is actually used
This is specialized vocabulary used in art history, conservation, and technical descriptions of painting. It is uncommon in everyday speech.
Easily confused with secco
Fresco painting applies pigment to wet plaster so that the color becomes chemically bound to the surface as it dries, whereas secco painting applies pigment to dry plaster with a separate binder.