polychromy

American  

[pol-ee-kroh-mee] / ˈpɒl iˌkroʊ mi /

noun

1. the art of employing many colors in decoration, as in painting or architecture.

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polychromy British  

/ ˈpɒlɪˌkrəʊmɪ /

noun

1. decoration in many colours, esp in architecture or sculpture

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Other Word Forms

• polychromous adjective

Etymology

Origin of polychromy

First recorded in 1855–60; polychrome + -y ³

Example Sentences

While this new monochrome work — inspired by the expression of yin and yang — is more tranquil than Brown’s usual party of polychromy, his paintings still dance with an appealing musicality.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 20, 2023

Awareness of polychromy has been cyclical ever since the Mediterranean empires fell hundreds of years ago.

From New York Times • Aug. 17, 2022

This spirit is in the polychromy of Islamic buildings, in the working of stone to look like tapestry, in the appearance of geometric evocations of infinite harmony in the middle of cacophonous towns.

From The Guardian • Aug. 29, 2020

In the twentieth century, appreciation for ancient polychromy and decoration went further into eclipse—largely on aesthetic, rather than racial, grounds.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 22, 2018

In short, the Greek system of polychromy presents itself to us as a largely arbitrary system.

From A History of Greek Art by Tarbell, Frank Bigelow