Grisaille (fr. gris — "grey") is a type of monochrome painting that appeared in antiquity and is an intermediate link between painting and drawing. Most often, artists use different shades of grey for this technique. Previously, grisaille was used to decorate walls as imitation of bas-reliefs. Buildings of the classic epoch are decorated with such paintings. The desired volume was created using light and shadow. Over time, grisaille has become part of easel painting, i. e. painting created on an easel, and the range of its colours has expanded significantly. Today this method of obtaining an image can be used as an independent type of painting.
