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A Noble Art edges back
from the verge of extinction
It is a pity you know when one sees
an art form that has
taken centuries to develop and reach perfection, only to fall a victim of modern technology. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for modern technology that expands and enhances the ancient traditional arts or even creates new forms of art that we never have imagined before! This is a noble art that has been described as “ beautiful, much
admired and exceedingly rare; it is
a branch of devotional
art in use for the decoration of
reliquaries and calls for
sure and ready draftsmanship”. This amazing art uses reverse gold engraving on glass to produce a a superb
decorative combination with a
jewel-like qualities. Many
applications have been found to this art form which has enormous potential and yet is still relatively very rare nowadays and is practised by only a handful of people. Glass gilding is the subject matter here. Most of us have probably seen a form of this art as a classy window sign or a superb mirror with decorative motifs in a restaurant or a hotel. One Australian artist is helping to resurrect this fine art and help propagate it further is Bruce Jackson of : http://home.connexus.net.au/~bruceja/gallery/index.htm Examples of glass gilding date back to the first century have been found in ancient Egypt and in the early Christians’ catacombs in Rome. These examples used gold sandwiched between glass, a method that has evolved to the present day techniques of glass gilding. These early methods have progressed in the 3rd & 4th centuries and used to create personal "medallions" that utilised gold leaf to make religious images, which found their way to mark the tombs of the faithful. Religious purposes continued to be the main use of glass gilding which, by the 14th century, has developed to a fairly advanced form of art with highly refined techniques that called for skill and excellent draftsmanship. In the 17th & 18th centuries the idea of glass gilded with gold has found other usages and the use of reverse glass painting was developed using the engraving technique other inventive artists used similar techniques to gild picture frames, clocks and furniture and gradually reverse glass painting combined with gold leaf gilding to produce fine examples of the art up to modern times where usage has declined except for few artists that are
trying to bring it back from the
edge of extinction, but
with computer signage on the rise and many imitation materials are being used instead of gold, the whole art form is under threat but for the faithful few like Bruce Jackson who are holding the fort, so to speak, and if you have seen the fine work that he produces using the authentic and time honoured methods, you will understand what a worthy art form this is for us to preserve and promote! This website is very extensive and presents myriad of valuable information to the keen practitioner of this art, whether novice or seasoned, with many articles on the various types and methods used, including several experiments with various metals in his quest for better or superior results. These instructions, however easy to follow, can be very technical to the lay person, but very interesting nonetheless. I have enjoyed the many art works that are exhibited in his gallery-page, for they surely show what an accomplished artisan he is, and it is a real pleasure to look at these beautiful designs and wonder how long would such fine and detailed work have taken him. I have also found all the relevant information logically laid out and navigation is quite good through out the site, which is a real plus. So if you like to know more about smoke patination, water size or 'Verre Eglomise' , head for http://home.connexus.net.au/~bruceja/gallery/index.htm
Editor's Note:
A newer and more comprehensive site has been
since
launched at www.goldreverre.com |