Gold Leaf

The use of gold leaf dates back to Ancient Egypt. Pharaohs' sarcophagi and funerary masks were covered in gold leaf, symbolizing the immortality of their divine nature. The mask of Tutankhamun, made with thick gold, made the brilliance of Gold Leaf revered as the sacred color of the sun god Ra along the banks of the Nile.

The Byzantine Empire elevated gold leaf to the soul of religious art. The Hagia Sophia in Constantinople covered its domes with gold leaf mosaics. As light filtered through, the reflected gold created the effect of heavenly light, a technique that profoundly influenced the entire Middle Ages in Europe.

Gold leaf was heavily utilized in the art of medieval illuminated manuscripts. In works like Ireland's Book of Kells and the French Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, gold leaf backgrounds and gold powder decorations turned the written word into a visual carrier of sacred doctrine; a single book could consume hundreds of leaves of gold.

Gold leaf reached its pinnacle in Italian Renaissance altarpieces. Giotto and Fra Angelico used gold leaf for halos and backgrounds. Cimabue's icons used gold leaf as a ground; the gold was not just a color but a declaration of divine presence.

After the 17th century, gold leaf moved from the altar to the secular world. French Rococo interiors were decorated with gold leaf moldings. The Hall of Mirrors at Schönbrunn Palace in Austria was trimmed with gold leaf. Modern artists like Gustav Klimt incorporated gold leaf into paintings; the gold leaf background in 'The Kiss' is one of gold's last glorious echoes in modern art.