GILDING 637 



must not be varnished, as simple oil-gilding stands better ; for when it is varnished, a 

 bright sunbeam acting after heavy rain, gives the gilding a jagged appearance. 

 When the objects are inside ones, a coat of spirit-varnish may be passed over the gold- 

 leaf, then a glow from the gilder's chafing dish may be given, and finally a coat of oil- 

 varnish. The workman who causes the chafing dish to glide in front of the varnished 

 surface must avoid stopping for an instant opposite any point, otherwise he would 

 cause the varnish to boil and blister. This heat brings out the whole transparency 

 of the varnish, and lustre of the gold. 



Oil-Gilding is employed with varnish polish, upon equipages, mirror-frames, and 

 other furniture. The following method is employed by eminent gilders at Paris : 



1. White lead, with half its weight of yellow ochre, and a little litharge, are sepa- 

 rately ground very fine ; and the whole is then tempered with linseed oil, thinned with 

 essence of turpentine, and applied in an evenly coat, called impression. 



2. When this coat is quite dry, several coats of the hard tint are given, even so 

 many as 10 or 12, should the surface require it for smoothing and filling up the pores. 

 These coats are given daily, leaving them to dry in the interval in a warm sunny exposure. 



3. When the work is perfectly dry, it is first softened down with pumice stone and 

 water, afterwards with worsted cloth and very finely powdered pumice, till the hard 

 tint give no reflexion, and be as smooth as glass. 



4. With a camel's-hair brush, there must be given lightly and with a gentle heat, 

 from 4 to 5 coats at least, and even sometimes double that number, of fine lac-varnish. 



5. When these are dry, the grounds of the pannels and the sculptures must be first 

 polished with shave-grass (de la prele) ; and next with putty of tin and tripoli, tempered 

 with water, applied with woollen cloth ; by which the varnish is polished till it shines 

 like a mirror. 



6. The work thus polished is carried into a hot place, free from dust, where it re- 

 ceives very lightly and smoothly, a thin coat of gold colour, much softened down. This 

 coat is passed over it with a clean soft brush, and the thinner it is the better. 



7. Whenever the gold colour is dry enough to take the gold, which is known by 

 laying the back of the hand on a corner of the frame work, the gilding is begun and 

 finished as usual. 



8. The gold is smoothed off with a very soft brush, one of camel's hair, for example, 

 of three fingers' breadth ; after which it is left to dry for several days. 



9. It is then varnished with a spirit-of-wine varnish ; which is treated with the 

 chafing dish as above described. 



10. When this varnish is dry, two or three coats of copal, or oil of varnish, is 

 applied, at intervals of two days. 



11. Finally, the pannels are polished with a worsted cloth, imbued with tripoli and 

 water, and lustre is given by friction with the palm of the hand, previously softened 

 with a little olive oil, taking care not to rub off the gold. 



In this country, Burnished gilding is practised by first giving a ground of size 

 whiting, in several successive coats ; next applying gilding size ; and then the gold- 

 leaf, which is burnished down with agate, or a dog's tooth. 



Gilding in distemper of the French, is the same as our burnished gilding. Their pro- 

 cess seems to be very elaborate, and the best consists of 17 operations ; each of them is 

 said to be essential. 



1. Encollage, or the Glue coat. To a decoction of wormwood and garlic in water, 

 strained through a cloth, a little common salt, and some vinegar are added. This com- 

 position, as being destructive of worms in wood, is mixed with as much good glue ; 

 and the mixture is spread in a hot state, with a brush of boar's hair. When plaster or 

 marble is to be gilded, the salt must be left out of the above composition, as it is apt to 

 attract humidity in damp places, and to come out as a white powder on the gilding. But 

 the salt is indispensable for wood. The first glue coating is made thinner than the second. 



2. White preparation. This consists in covering the above surface with 8, 10, or 12 

 coats of Spanish white, mixed up with strong size, each well worked on with the brush, 

 and in some measure incorporated with the preceding coat, to prevent their peeling off 

 in scales. 



3. Stopping up the pores, with thick whiting and glue, and smoothing the surface 

 with dog-skin. 



4. Polishing the surface with pumice-stone and very cold water. 



5. Reparation ; in which a skilful artist retouches the whole. 



6. Cleansing ; with a damp linen rag, and then a soft sponge. 



7. Preler. This is rubbing with horse's tail (shave-grass) the parts to be yellowed, 

 in order to make them softer. 



8. Yellowing. With this view yellow ochre is carefully ground in water, and mixed 

 with transparent colourless size. The thinner part of this mixture is applied hot over 

 the white surface with a thin brush, which gives it a fine yellow hue. 



