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illustration Craquelure

Craquelure

[KRAH-kə-looər]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, early 20th century

1.

A network of fine cracks in the paint or varnish of a painting.

Examples of Craquelure in a sentence

"The painting’s craquelure helped preservationists estimate its age."

"Some of the fissures in the canvas were a result of craquelure."

About Craquelure

This word comes from the French “craqueler,” meaning “to chap,” plus “-ure,” a suffix forming abstract nouns of action. The suffix is from Old French “-ure,” originally from the Latin “-ura.”

Did you Know?

Craquelure is very useful to art historians and appraisers. The kind that develops on a painting’s surface over time has a different pattern from craquelure induced through chemical processes over a shorter period of time — the latter occurs in regular patterns, while the former shows is much more irregular. Craquelure is one of several factors appraisers analyze to determine the age and authenticity of a work — and ultimately its value.

illustration Craquelure

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