gesso

[ jes-oh ]

noun

, plural ges·soes.

1. gypsum or plaster of Paris prepared with glue for use as a surface for painting.
2. any plasterlike preparation to prepare a surface for painting, gilding, etc.
3. a prepared surface of plaster or plasterlike material for painting, gilding, etc.

gesso

/ ˈdʒɛsəʊ /

noun

1. a white ground of plaster and size, used esp in the Middle Ages and Renaissance to prepare panels or canvas for painting or gilding
2. any white substance, esp plaster of Paris, that forms a ground when mixed with water

Word History and Origins

Origin of gesso¹

1590–1600; < Italian < Latin gypsum gypsum

Word History and Origins

Origin of gesso¹

C16: from Italian: chalk, gypsum

Example Sentences

Each piece in the collection has repetitive organic forms as part of its design and comes in white gesso, natural Douglas fir and ebonized Douglas fir.

From Los Angeles Times

The masks were then covered with a thin layer of gesso and painted gold, believed to be the color of the gods’ flesh and considered an eternal and indestructible hue.

From New York Times

Artist Ken Gun Min uses a tiny needle to applique his canvases, which he treats with gesso and Japanese bookbinding glue.

From Los Angeles Times

Strawberry syrup and banana skin preserved in gesso offer bright, sticky-sweet contrast in some shadows.

From Los Angeles Times

Today, painters most often use an acrylic polymer known as gesso, but 200 years ago, artists turned to a motley variety of substances.

From Science Magazine