Secco
/ˈsɛk.koʊ/noun
Dry; in art, painted on dry plaster or not using fresh wet plaster.
Did you know?In Italian art, a secco painting is done on dry plaster, which is less durable than fresco and can flake away like a fading charm.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sek-
“To dry up, be dry; also to cut off or separate in related branches.”
Latin
Latin
siccus
“Dry, parched, not wet.”
Vulgar Latin
VL
siccu
“Dry.”
Italian
Italian
secco
“Dry; dry-looking; in art, executed on dry plaster.”
Modern English
English
secco
“Used in art criticism for painting done on dry plaster, especially as opposed to fresco.”