Matte Gold

Matte Gold originates from the gold ground technique in medieval illuminated manuscript illustrations. Unlike burnished gold leaf, Matte Gold was made by mixing gold powder with gum arabic and applying it flat onto parchment with a brush, resulting in a matte finish once dry. This soft gold did not reflect harsh light, facilitating prolonged reading.

The Matte Gold technique matured during the Carolingian Renaissance. In the scriptorium of Aachen, monks preparing Gospel books would lay down Matte Gold grounds and then paint biblical scenes in tempera. The Matte Gold pages of the Lorsch Gospels still radiate a gentle warmth today.

During the Romanesque period, Matte Gold was used for the decorative initials of large Bibles and Psalters. The Cistercian Order, known for its strict rule, abandoned bright gold for Matte Gold, believing that its non-reflective quality better suited the humble spirit of monastic life.

The Gothic period saw Matte Gold and bright gold begin to be used together. In the Limbourg brothers' 'Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry,' the calendar pages used a Matte Gold ground for the winter sky, with bright gold highlighting stars and castle turrets. The contrast between matte and lustrous gold became a classic feature of the International Gothic court style.

The rise of oil painting in the 15th century superseded manuscripts for pictorial art, but the Matte Gold technique did not vanish. In the 20th century, book artists and binders rediscovered the beauty of Matte Gold, preparing it with traditional recipes to endow hand-bound fine press books with a classical soul.