Sgraffito (plural: sgraffiti; sometimes spelt scraffito) is a technique either of wall decor, produced by applying layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colors to a moistened surface, or in ceramics, by applying to an unfired ceramic body two successive layers of contrasting slip, and then in either case scratching so as to produce an outline drawing.
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Sgraffito and sgraffiti come from the Italian word sgraffiare ("to scratch"), ultimately from the Greek γράφειν (gráphein) "to write". Related terms include graffito and graffiti.
Sgraffito has been used in Europe since classical times, and it was common in Italy in the 16th century, and can be found in African art.
In Germany the technique is most predominant in Bavaria, shown in its native motifs. The use of sgraffito was common in the creation of housing façades for the purposes of advertising.
In combination with ornamental decoration these techniques formed an alternative to the prevailing painting of walls. Of late there has been an unmistakable growing interest in this old technique, which as a means of expression can be introduced into various artforms. The technical procedure is understandably simple, and the procedures are the same as with the painting of frescoes.
Sgraffito played a significant role during the years of the Renaissance in Italy. During the 16th century the technique was brought to Germany by the master builders of the Renaissance and taken up with enthusiasm by the formative craftsmen. As a simple native art old examples of sgraffito can be found in the wide surroundings of Wetterau and Marburg. The technique was also used in Thuringia, the Engadin, Austria and Transylvania.
In Catalonia, sgraffito was implemented in the early 20th century by the Noucentista neo-classical architects and became a recurrent technique in façade decoration.
Another use of sgraffito is seen in its simplified painting technique. One coat of paint is left to dry on a canvas or sheet of paper. Another coat of a different color is painted on top of the first layer. The artist then uses a palette knife or oil stick to scratch out a design, leaving behind an image in the color of the first coat of paint this can also be achieved by using oil pastels for the first layer and black ink for the top layer. Sometimes a first coat of paint is not needed, and the wet coat scraped back reveals the canvas. This can not be achieved by using the oil pastel method. This technique is often used in art classes to teach the sgraffito technique to novice art students.
Examples of graphic work on facades saw a resurgence circa 1890 through 1915, in the context of the rise of the Arts and Crafts Movement, the Vienna Secession, and particularly the Art Nouveau movement in Belgium and France.
The English artist Heywood Sumner has been identified[1] as this era's pioneer of the technique, for example his work at the 1892 St Mary's Church, Sunbury, Surrey. Sumner's work is sgraffito per se, scratched plaster, but the term has come to encompass a variety of techniques for producing exterior graphic decoration.
Other examples include: