Pentimento meaning
An underlying image in a painting, especially one that has become visible when the top layer of paint has turned transparent with age, providing evidence of revision by the artist.
noun
The emergence of lines, images, etc. in a painting that become visible as oil paint grows transparent with age, thus revealing the artist's earlier ideas.
noun
Any such line, image, etc.
noun
An alteration in a painting, evidenced by traces of previous work, showing that the artist has changed his or her mind as to the composition during the process of painting.
noun
The presence or emergence of traces of previous work or image, especially, of the same subject, originally in painting.
noun
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Origin of pentimento
- Italian correction, pentimento from pentire to repent from Latin paenitēre
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Italian pentimento.
From Wiktionary