Discuss the process of creating a fresco and compare examples to other art forms, in particular, altarpieces from the period (Revel Asset: Technique: FRESCO).

What will be an ideal response?

First, an undercoat of plaster is applied to the wall. Then a cartoon is used to outline the drawing, which is then sketched in more detail: the sinopia. Next, a thin coat of plaster is applied to a section of the wall on which the pigment will be applied. This section is only as large as the artist believed could be painted in a day, or before the plaster dried. A “day’s work” is called the giornata. The key element of a fresco is the bonding of the pigment with the plaster, which guarantees the longevity of the color. Paintings on panel, such as altarpieces, could be more decorative through the use of gilding. The tempera pigments used in these altarpieces, however, did not last as long as fresco and faded or chipped away over time.