craquelure

American

[krak-loor, krak-loor, krak^uh-lyr] / krækˈlʊər, ˈkræk lʊər, krakəˈlür /

noun

plural

craquelures

a network of fine cracks or crackles on the surface of a painting, caused chiefly by shrinkage of paint film or varnish.

craquelure British

/ ˈkrækəlʊə /

noun

a network of fine cracks on old paintings caused by the deterioration of pigment or varnish

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of craquelure

First recorded in 1910–15; < French, equivalent to craquel(er) “to crackle, crack” (imitative) + -ure -ure

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His dreamy scenes, heavy with craquelure thanks to the specific paints he uses, are built up with multiple layers of paints.

From The Wall Street Journal

At Pearl Lam, the delicate craquelure of the monochrome panels by Su Xiaobai connects them to historic painting and celadon pottery.

From The Wall Street Journal

He compared the painting with photographs of the many cracks, or craquelure, in the original.

From Literature

A gifted forger can copy a painting, but he cannot copy a craquelure.

From Literature

Like a fingerprint, every craquelure is unique.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023