Glossary · Technique
Sgraffito
A decorative technique of scratching through a surface layer to reveal a contrasting layer beneath — used in wall painting, panel painting, ceramics, and architectural decoration throughout the Renaissance.
Definition
Sgraffito (from Italian sgraffiare, "to scratch") is a technique in which a top layer — of paint, slip, plaster, or other material — is scratched away to reveal a contrasting layer beneath. The scratch marks become the decorative or descriptive element.
Applications in Renaissance art include:
- Architectural wall surfaces: Buildings decorated with sgraffito patterns — two-tone designs created by applying colored stucco over a contrasting base and scratching designs through the top coat
- Panel painting: Scratching through gold leaf or paint layers to create linear patterns or to recover highlights
- Ceramics: Scratched slip decoration, common in Renaissance maiolica
- Metalpoint drawing: The metal stylus leaves a scored line in the prepared paper — a related principle
Sgraffito in Leonardo's Context
Leonardo's panel paintings do not extensively employ sgraffito as a primary technique — his approach favored additive layering (glazing) rather than subtractive scratching. However, minor sgraffito-like scratching to recover lost highlights or adjust edges may be present in some works, and he was certainly familiar with the technique from his training in Verrocchio's workshop.