monocromo

Monocromo (monochrome) is a term used to describe images, artworks, or materials that use a single color or only shades of that color. In art and visual design, a monochrome work may be executed in one hue with its variations in lightness and saturation, or in grayscale, where black, white, and their intermediate grays define the image. Monochrome palettes are valued for their clarity, unity, and emphasis on form, texture, and composition rather than chromatic variety.

In photography and printing, monochrome modes render images in a single tone, most commonly black and white, but also single-tone options such as sepia or blue cyanotype. Monochrome design contrasts with polychrome approaches that use many colors.

In color theory, a monochromatic color scheme uses one hue plus variations of that hue. This scheme produces harmony and can simplify composition, directing focus to shape, light, and contrast rather than color nuance.

In science and technology, monochromatic describes light with a narrow wavelength range. Lasers are highly monochromatic, and spectroscopy often relies on monochromatic sources. A monochromator is an instrument that isolates light of a single wavelength.

Historical note: Monochrome painting emerged in the modern art movements of the early 20th century, with artists exploring reduction of color to explore form and concept, and later artists such as Yves Klein popularizing single-color works.