Giornata

/dʒɔːrˈnɑːtə/ noun

Definition

In art history, a day's work or the amount of work completed in a single day, especially in fresco painting where plaster must be painted before it dries.

Etymology

From Italian 'giornata,' meaning 'day's work' or 'daily labor,' derived from 'giorno' (day) + '-ata' (a suffix indicating a quantity or period). The word entered English art historical vocabulary in the 20th century.

Kelly Says

A 'giornata' reveals the physical constraints of Renaissance art—frescoes had to be painted in sections as the plaster dried daily, so you can literally see the passage of days in a finished fresco by identifying the giornate.

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