GOLD LEAF, PAINT & GLASS

This pioneering book is the first publication to devote itself to the methods, techniques and history of reverse painting and gilding on glass, often known as verre églomisé. It is written for students, artists, collectors, conservators, curators, interested amateurs, teachers and designers.
Since the Renaissance the practice of gold decoration on the back of glass has passed in and out of fashion but today it is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Historic examples can be seen in most major museums while artists use it today to create new work and designers incorporate it into furniture and room settings.
Following her first degree in Book Illustration from Camberwell School of Art, London, the author Frances Federer spent many years practicing and teaching all aspects of gilding on glass. Forty years after graduating from Camberwell she began at the Royal College of Art, London, to continue her research, from where she earned her Master of Philosophy, in Gold, Glass and the Image.
This book is the culmination of her long experience.

Frances Federer says: “Several publications address painting on glass from a curatorial point of view, but they are rarely willing or able to explain the practical processes. In fact, the majority of these works are in German, making them inaccessible to many. Despite the fact that the popularity of decorated glass for interiors has exploded over the last 2 decades, until now there has been little information available.This book answers an increasing interest in the subject and is for fans, amateurs and professionals alike.”

Resident Advisor at The Studio of The Corning Museum of Glass, NY, USA William Gudenrath, wrote: ‘This book… brings together the results of years of research by the author… time-tested arcane formulae have been thoroughly modernized; intricate order-sensitive processes are thoroughly explained. Anyone practicing today has to get many things ‘right’ if they expect their work to last really long-term: that is why this book is so very important.’

I warmly recommend this extremely nice book in English to anyone who works or wants to work with gold leaf. The foreword in the book is written by William Gudenrath, Resident Advisor of the Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass, and recounts the history of the techniques of gold plating. Next, it is classified in different chapters, describing painting and gilding-behind-glass, the development of gold engraving, historical sources and recipes by Simone Bretz, the tools of Gilders and different media. Chapter 6 is a step-by-step project in which a mirror is modified with clear pictures and instructions, after which further processes and recipes follow as steaming and double gilding. The book concludes with a chapter on troubleshooting and security regulations. A small Glossary clarifies the concepts; Appendix 2 lists the addresses of suppliers in England and America.
Released by Thomas Publication in London, ISBN 9 780957 269408, 128 pp, 246 x 189 mm this book is on sale for £ 19.99 and can be ordered from Frances Federer: +44 (0)790-341 9852 or by email, francesfederer@gmail.com