Gilding, trough the past and in present time
Gilding is a handicraft of decorating art and architectural works
with thin metal leafs, usually golden and silver. Metal leafs are being
fixed to the template with special adhesion substance and often
protected by fixatives. The final phase is PATINA - infliction of paint
to the gilded surface and then its fractional divestment. The aim of
this finish is to discover profoundness of the details.
View Jelena's virtual exhibition ...
Jelena Milutinovic was born in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, 1979.
She was growing in a family of private handicraftsmen that has been in the furniture restoration business since 1936.
At
the age of 12, she met the techniques of gilding first time. From 1992
to 1995 master Sava Dimitrijevic and his son Dragan apprenticed her at
their gilding workshop, located in the building site of the great Saint
Sava Temple (Belgrade). Later she attends the state School of Art
Handicrafts in Sabac and after 4 years gets the title of "cultural
treasure conserver - gilder". Last year (2001) Jelena enrolled school
of restoration "La Cantoria" in Florence, Italy.
As an
apprentice of gilding workshop Dimitrijevic, she was included in works
at the objects of Saint Sava Temple and Saint Mark Church.
Independently, she executed restorations for needs of several other
churches in Belgrade (like: St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Petka, "Ruzica")
and museums (The National Museum and the Museum of Natural History).
She
has been restoring the objects of different types: icons, painting and
mirror frames, altar and roof crosses, monumental scripts, candle
holders, sanctuary lamps and other things for sacral use. This artist
has been applying the gilding techniques on most different materials:
stone, ceramics, frescoes, metal, glass, wood, plaster coast, canvas,
leather and paper� She also applied gilding and silvering on stylish
and modern furniture.
An example of her work on interior decoration is given in "Optimist Club 42", Belgrade.
e-mail contact
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Cellular: +381 64 198 5285
Gilding, trough the past and in present time
Gilding is a handicraft of decorating art and architectural works
with thin metal leafs, usually golden and silver. Metal leafs are being
fixed to the template with special adhesion substance and often
protected by fixatives. The final phase is PATINA - infliction of paint
to the gilded surface and then its fractional divestment. The aim of
this finish is to discover profoundness of the details.
Gold
is the most desirable material for gilders works, as it doesn't
corrode. Silver leafs are more addicted to rust. Through history, gold,
silver, bronze, aluminum and other materials of different finesse were
weld manually to thin leafs. Now?days machines produce metal leafs,
since the second decade of 20th century. These can be thin up to 0.1 m.
It is possible to buy gold leafs of different finesse, grist and
asperity. Leafs made of the purest, 24 carat gold are the softest.
Some
of gilding techniques date from the ages of ancient Egypt and
Mesopotamia (over 2500 BC). Art of gilding architectural sculpture
reached its climax in ancient Greece. Gilding was widely exerted in
Roman art. In mediaeval painting, gold had a special iconographic
significance, as a symbol of light. That attitude is being held up to
now in Eastern Europe, where the longest tradition exists in Greek and
Russian gilding schools - based on Byzantine heritage. In Western
Europe, gilding reached tremendous popularity again in 18th century.
Gilded surfaces got an additional function: to reflect and spread
abroad light of the candles
that were used to illuminate rooms.
In
Serbia, after the World War II and the socialist revolution, alongside
with the disappearance of middle class and suppression of the Church to
the margin of society, the number of gilding works ordering parties is
being dramatically reduced. The handicraft was dying. Only museums and
cabinets of high communist officials needed services of gilders.
Gilding
alleviates after 1989, when a massive evocation of national and
religious identity set in motion renovation of the neglected churches
and monasteries, as well as the equipment of the new established ones.
The need for restoration of antiquities in private collection is in
progress too. It is also noticeable that within last several years
gilding 's been getting more space in modern Serbian architecture
(especially in interior and furniture decoration).
|
