GOLD TIPS: Paintings With Gold – How To Care and Where To Place

GOLD TIPS: Paintings With Gold – How To Care and Where To Place

If you have a painting, part of which is made of gold, let's look at how to care for such a painting.

Bright, strong, iridescent, shimmering. Playing in the rays of light and coming to life at the slightest movement of the gaze. All this is gold.

For some of my paintings I use gold leaves to enrich the the subject depicted but also enhance certain elements by highlighting them and giving them special importance.

As we all know, in visual arts gold was used before and during the Renaissance. Contemporary artists also have a tendency to incorporate gold in abstract artworks. As for me, I freely add it to my figurative subjects in oil paintings.

If you have such a painting, part of which is made of gold, let's look at how to care for such a painting.

Composition Gold Leaf

Of course, when I say gold I mean the composition gold leaf, also known as imitation gold leaf, or Dutch metal.

Imitation gold leaf is made of copper and zinc and yes, it will tarnish over time. No exceptions.

I am using the composition gold leaf and not the real gold (which is also possible to incorporate in paintings) just because it looks the same (or almost the same) as real gold but it's much much affordable. Just imagine the price of the painting made of pure real gold!

 

Handling a Painting with Gold Leaf

Always be careful while handling a painting with gold leaf. Even if the surface of the painting is varnished, the nature of the gold leaf is very fragile. When holding your gold leaf painting or putting it on the wall, always make sure to wear cotton gloves to avoid transferring natural oils from your hands to the surface of the gold leaf painting. 

Also, keep in mind that the gilded surface can be very easily scratched.

 

Cleaning a Gilded Surface

If you must clean off some dust from the gilded surface of the gold leaf painting, please use a clean cotton cloth or a very soft make-up brush.

Do not not use water, chemicals, natural cleaning supplies, spirits or oils for cleaning purposes of the gilded surface.

Any sharp object or a cleaning tool can be dangerous for a painting with gilded surface.

 

Placement of Painting with Gilding

As I have already mentioned it, the composition (imitation) gold leaf will tarnish. It is possible to slow down the tarnishing process just by simply placing the gilded painting in a room with relatively lower humidity. 

Avoid placing a painting with gold leaf exposed to direct sunlight or any heat. Heaters and fireplaces but also bathrooms and saunas are an absolute No for such painting.

 

It all might sound very difficult but if you think about it then you'll see that these rules apply almost to any object of visual arts. Gold is special but it is very democratic when it comes to taking care of it.

I hope that these tips will be useful and I also hope that you enjoy my oil paintings, both plain and gilded!   

 

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