Grisaille
/ɡrɪˈzaɪ/noun
A painting or decorative technique using shades of gray, often to imitate sculpture.
Did you know?Grisaille comes from French gris, meaning “gray,” and was used in medieval and Renaissance art to create illusionary images that could mimic carved stone or appear like spectral visions.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰreh₁-
“to grow gray; to become greenish or gray”
Old High German
OHG
grīs
“gray, gray-haired”
Old French
Old French
gris
“gray”
14th Century
French
grisaille
“painting done in shades of gray”
Modern English
English
grisaille
“a monochrome gray painting or decorative style”