alla prima

[ ah-luh pree-muh ]

noun

, Fine Arts.

1. a painting technique in which a canvas is completed in one session, often having a thickly applied impasto.

alla prima

/ ˈɑːlɑː ˈpriːmə /

adjective

1. (of a painting) painted with a single layer of paint, in contrast to paintings built up layer by layer

Word History and Origins

Origin of alla prima¹

< Italian: literally, at the first

Word History and Origins

Origin of alla prima¹

C19: from Italian: at once

Example Sentences

Quel che fa il pazzo all' ultimo, lo fa il savio 40 alla prima—The wise man does that at first which the fool must do at last.

From Project Gutenberg