Licked finish

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A licked finish is a hallmark of academic art. It refers to the process of smoothing a painting so that no brushstrokes are visible. It was codified by the French Academy in the eighteenth century in order to distinguish 'professional' art from that produced by amateurs.

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres summed up the academic technique: "The brushstroke, as accomplished as it may be, should not be visible: otherwise, it prevents the illusion, immobilizes everything. Instead of the object represented, it calls attention to the process: instead of the thought, it betrays the hand."


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