New - payment in 3 instalments available from €500
Search
Favorites
Cart
Carré d'artistes - Le blog
Inspirations, recent discoveries and world art events and galleries.
The art minute

Golden pieces

- 11/05/2021
golden artworks

PHARAOHS, STATUES AND MANUSCRIPTS

Way before the Californian Gold Rush in the 1850’s, way before the Chinese mining back in the Middle Ages, men have always given a great importance to this precious metal, as shinny as the sun.
In Ancient Egypt, gold is the color of Gods and Pharaohs, as it doesn’t oxidize, it symbolizes immortality.

Just the tomb of Tutankhamun contained nearly a ton of gold, even though it is the less imposing one among the Valley of the Kings sepulchers.
Many signs of gold leaf uses – both on paintings and sculptures - are found on sarcophagus and burial chambers in the very heart of pyramids.

Rome, along with the pre-Columbian Americas, pile up effigies, statuettes and diverse objects in massive gold.



 






 
Tutankhamun tomb


 
Ancient Greece witnesses the same phenomenon.
The precious Metal, other than sustaining wars, adorns statues and more particularly the famous Chryselephantine sculpture.
As their name indicates it (chrysos means gold and elephantinos ivory) these statues mingle ivory for naked human body parts and gold for clothing, armors and accessories.

Two of the most beautiful chryselephantine sculptures, the Athena Parthenos and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia made by Phidias, are destroyed during middle Ages wars because of their high value.

In the fifth century illuminated manuscripts are turned into pieces of art through the use of gold leaf.
From Constantinople to Ireland via Italy , these writings , whose  texts are illustrated and decorated on the initials or the margins, are embellished with silver and gold leaf through an extremely thorough work.



 

GOLD AND ORNAMENTS

In the Middle Ages, the gold leaf is used for Christian artworks and paintings.
The iconographic and aesthetic role of gold is crucial since it carries a strong symbolic depending on its place in the image.
The yellow metal is particularly used for aureoles, characteristic of saints, or to golden the sky, which gave its name to this painting style:
the "golden background" which refers to this technique.
At that time, the name of Primitives is given to Italian painters working on wood panel, painting very straight characters in front of a gold background.
This technique is at its peak in the fourteenth century in Italy and the Byzantine Empire.

After the Renaissance and the emergence of major Italian cities, art slides slowly towards the bright aesthetics of the Baroque style where golden ornaments still find a place of choice, just like in Versailles or the Sanssouci castle in Berlin.


Versailles castle in France



Sanssouci castle in Berlin



 

CONTEMPORARY GOLD

jeanne d arc  gustav klimt


 
After a quieter period, gold comes back to fashion in the nineteenth century, especially in sculptures.
The equestrian statue of Jeanne d’ Arc in 1874 created by Emmanuel Frémiet is a perfect example.

More recently in the modern art world, many artists have used gold and the gold leaf in their paintings.
One must of course evoke Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) who paints during its «Golden Cycle" a series of artworks made with gold leaf which are today some of the most expensive paintings in the world.

In 2006, $135 millions were necessary to buy  Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907) and over $327 millions the same year for a set of five works called "golden".



 

The Monogolds (1959-1962) by Yves Klein are among the contemporary artworks that best reflect the artists fascination for gold.
Some of his paintings are entirely covered with gold leaf, others play on shifting effects.
Ci-gît l'espace (1960) with its blue circle and flowers give a perfect sense of shining to the gold metal.


 

klein table or
Yves Klein, 1928 - 1962, Table Monogold


 

 

ZINC, LEAD AND GOLD

François-Régis Lemonnier whose work is primarily based on the recovery of materials such as sand  or zinc, uses the gold leaf to sublimate his works.
Lingering a deep look on the human being that he loves to represent in marine worlds or mountainous landscapes, his thoughts place the mankind in the universality of its environment.
Far from representation and realism, the paintings by François-Régis Lemonnier are an open window to the world, a huge world, swallowing an increasingly small, almost invisible man.



 

THE NEO-COLLECTOR'S GUIDE

Everything you always wanted to know about the art market but were afraid to ask!


The art market often appears to be a domain reserved for a privileged few...
This is not true: accessible to all, the art market is only waiting for its new collectors.

For those who still have a doubt :
Here are the answers to the questions commonly asked!

What is a work of art?
What is the purpose of art?
What is the purpose of a certificate of authenticity?
What should you look out for when buying a work of art?




 
download the guide

 
 

YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE AND WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARTISTS AND THEIR ARTWORKS ?

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our latest articles and news!

By creating an account, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Unique art for...

We use cookies to give you the best shopping experience. If you continue to use our services, we will assume that you agree to the use of such cookies. Find out more about cookies and how to refuse them.