craquelure

English

WOTD – 13 November 2008

Craquelure in the Mona Lisa, with a typical "Italian" pattern of small rectangular blocks

Etymology

Borrowed from French craquelure.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /kɹæk.əˈlʊə/, /kɹæk.əˈljʊə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /kɹæk.əˈlʊɹ/, /kɹæk.əˈljʊɹ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

  ,

  Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

craquelure (countable and uncountable, plural craquelures)

1. (art) The distinctive pattern of hairline cracks in the surface of an old painting.

Translations

hairline cracks in painting

• French: craquelure (fr) f
• Italian: craquelure f
• Polish: krakelura (pl) f
• Russian: кракелю́р (ru) m (krakeljúr), кракле́ (ru) n (kraklé)
• Spanish: craquelado m

See also

• craze (pottery)

French

Etymology

From craqueler +‎ -ure.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʁa.klyʁ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

craquelure f (plural craquelures)

1. a small crack, usually in paint, glaze, varnish and similar substances

Descendants

• → English: craquelure
• → Italian: craquelure

Further reading

• “craquelure”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.