Gold Leaf Artwork London
ArtworkKensington Gilders created bespoke gold leaf artwork in London for a private client who wanted original pieces that incorporated real gold leaf as a central design element. Gold leaf has been used in artwork for thousands of years — from Byzantine icons to Renaissance altarpieces to the gilded paintings of Gustav Klimt — and it brings a quality of light and warmth that no gold paint or metallic pigment can replicate.
These pieces were produced in our workshop and involved a combination of techniques. The gold leaf was applied using both water gilding and oil gilding methods, depending on the effect required for each section of the work. Areas intended to have a high, burnished shine were water gilded — laying genuine 23.5 carat loose leaf over red bole and then burnishing with an agate stone to bring up a mirror-like finish. Areas where a softer, matte gold was desired were oil gilded, which produces a more subdued, satin-like surface.
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The interplay between burnished and matte gold is a technique that goes back to medieval manuscript illumination, where it was used to create visual depth and texture within a gilded design. By varying the treatment across different areas of the artwork, we were able to produce pieces that had real visual complexity — the gold appears to shift and change as you move around the room and the light falls from different angles.
Additional decorative elements were introduced through painting, tooling and the selective use of patina. Some areas of gold were partially toned with thin glazes of colour to create an antique effect, while others were left bright to catch the light. The tooling work — pressing patterns into the gold surface using heated tools — added fine texture and linear detail that enriched the overall design.
The completed artworks were delivered and installed in the client's London home, where they function as focal points in the principal rooms. Each piece is unique, made entirely by hand, and will retain its beauty for generations.
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