>Hi,
>I heard about strato fresco technique.
>It's a fresco on canvas.
>
>I would like to know more
>about the technique and where
>can I learn this in
>Europe?

Hi! The technique that you referring to is "strappo". This method was developed to save the old frescoes from the deterioration caused by floods, other disasters or if the original wall or the building itself was to be demolished. The resque was achieved by transferring frescoes from the original walls onto the canvas support or different wall.

Briefly, it works like this:
A sheet of hessian (canvas) is affixed onto the fresco with water soluble glue. Then the plaster is being loosened and the fresco is literally stripped from its foundation. Resulted canvas with the fresco (skim coat with painting on it) is now glued to it's new support. When the glue dries solvents to desolve the first glue are applied to the canvas, which is then removed leaving the fresco on its new foundation.

Ironically this method was not always used for noble purposes - a few years ago, a gang of thiefs was arrested in China. Those wise guys were stripping the frescoes from the historic cites and selling them to the unscrupulous collectors of the Free World. One of the gang members girlfriend was working in the museum and were providing the leads.

Nowadays it is also used, primarily in Italy, as a method to provide the art market with "lightweight, decorative frescoes". You may find a good school there or in France. However to apply strappo method, at first the real Buon fresco has to be painted and cured, only then it can be transferred onto canvas using strappo method/technique.

Note to all Cafe al Fresco contributors and guests Please post what you know about the strappo (application methods, materials needed, reference material, etc., etc.) in this thread. Not everyone is lucky enough to go and study "strappo" in Italy!