Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Lesson 523. The title of today's lesson is the difference
between mural, fresco, and graffiti. Yeah. This is one that sometimes comes up in class where
students will ask what's the difference between these three ? Okay. If somebody wants a screenshot
do it right now. Let's get right to it. A mural is a very large painting or picture on a wall
ceiling etc. The word mural derives from the Latin word "Murus' meaning wall. Okay. Let's continue.
A fresco is actually a type of mural. It's a type of mural that entails ... entails means
includes , using water-soluble paints on wet limestone or plaster. So this is the main key
part about fresco. It has to be done with this method of painting. So if it's not done with
this method of painting it's not a fresco. Okay. Thus the paint penetrates the plaster
and becomes set as it dries. Okay. So basically. All frescoes usually are murals but not all
murals are frescoes. All right. Let's continue. Graffiti could also be considered a type of mural
and is mostly done with spray cans of paint. All right. Well this is different.
The other types of murals and frescoes are definitely not done with spray cans.
All right. Let's continue. It is also important to note that there are two types of graffiti.
The legal kind which is more respected , where the artist either gets permission
and is usually paid for the art. The second kind of graffiti is the illegal kind which
may sometimes be labeled as vandalism if it is unwanted. This may depend on the quality. If the
quality is exceptionally good and people leave it there and people start to appreciate it as art.
It may still be considered a mural, but if it's not if the owner got mad and he painted
over it quickly or whatever reason it may not be. All right. Let's continue. Often graffiti
is more modern with a deep meaning behind it. But other times it may simply have a political
message. Yeah. A lot of the graffiti in you know, some other countries like South American
countries , African countries. A lot of times it's just you know, about some political ideology or
something. That's written on there. I don't know if you really even would consider that to be art.
Obscenities of course dirty words that probably shouldn't be in the art category either
or messages not always understood. Yes. Sometimes it's some sort of a code or maybe the person who
wrote it knows what it is or maybe a few other people but maybe the average people don't even
understand what was written there. Okay. Gangs also sometimes use it to mark their territory.
All right. Again, I don't know if you would consider this art. Graffiti is most often
outdoors. Now graffiti almost... the far majority of time is outdoors. Where murals and frescoes
could and often are indoors. All right. Let's continue. And we got seven examples here to try to
really give you a good idea. All right. Here's the first one. They decided to have a mural painted on
the lobby walls of that building as a decoration. Yeah. And of course like I said this could be just
you know, anybody painting on a wall and you know they probably hired a good artist to do it so this
would be a mural number two. Any artwork painted on walls inside or outside and done with a variety
of painting techniques. It could be called a mural. So this is what we said you know,
so some you know, the frescoes and of course graffiti could be called murals as well.
All right. Let's continue here. Many of the most famous frescoes were done in former times. Yeah.
We don't have as many in our modern times. Often of a religious nature during the Renaissance.
That's when it was probably most popular during that time. All right. Let's continue.
Number four here. The most famous fresco is probably the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
All right. Number five. Well this is an example where it's not religious. "The Coronation of
Charlemagne" is a famous fresco by Raphael. Raphael was also known for doing a number of
frescoes. The artist Raphael. All right now. Number six here. A lot of the most famous graffiti
murals could also be considered to be street art. You know, because a lot of times it is outside.
Number seven. Cornbread and Banksy are two of the most famous graffiti artists.
Yes. So and you know I remember when I grew up. I grew up in New York City there was graffiti
all over the New York subway and stuff a lot of it was in the category of what we talked about as
obscenities or sometimes little codes that you didn't understand. Although every now and then
you did see a really good picture and you did kind of admire it. It was probably one that was
done in a train yard though because it takes a lot of time to ... just to spray paint you know,
and make it look really good like a really good artwork. So anyway that's that's the
way we usually have it. Anyway, I hope you can clearly see now the difference between
all three or when you're more likely to use one word than the other. Anyway, I hope you
got it. I hope it was clear. I hope it was very informative. Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.