1. plural of pentimento; visible traces of earlier painted forms or corrections beneath the surface layer of a finished painting, where an artist changed their mind during the creative process.
Usage: art history and conservation; Italian origin; singular form is 'pentimento'; often discovered through X-ray or infrared imaging

Examples

• The museum's conservators discovered pentimenti beneath the surface of the Renaissance portrait, revealing the artist's original composition.
• X-ray analysis exposed pentimenti in the painting, showing where the artist had repositioned the subject's arm.
• Art historians study pentimenti to understand the creative process and decision-making of Old Masters.
• The pentimenti visible in this work demonstrate that even famous painters made significant changes during painting.
• Infrared imaging revealed pentimenti that suggested the artist had initially planned a different background.
• Collectors value paintings with visible pentimenti as evidence of authenticity and artistic evolution.