The 100 paintings gold background

A traditional gold background begins with carefully smoothed preparation. On the wooden panel, the painter places several layers of gesso, then a bowl of red clay which warms the metal and facilitates its adhesion. Very thin gold leaf is then applied, browned with agate and sometimes engraved, incised or punched. The light therefore does not come from a yellow imitating metal: it is actually reflected on a metallic surface.

This process profoundly transforms space. In Italian panels and icons, gold removes the earth's sky and installs the figures in a timeless presence. On Japanese screens, it can become mist and atmosphere, while amplifying the light of an interior. At Klimt, finally, the metal foil dialogues with oil, silver and platinum to produce a modern surface that is as precious as it is unstable.

The classification has therefore been completely redone. Paintings only yellow, ocher, brown or lit by warm light have been removed. Each entry explicitly mentions a gold background, gold leaf, gold powder, paper gold or another precious metal in its technique. Klimt's works close the journey because they consciously reactivate Byzantine heritage with real gold, silver, and sometimes platinum.

The criterion is material: the work must contain real gold or a proven shiny metallic application.