GILDING. 



the flireds or clippings, to fix qiiarls of water, to the con- 

 fiftence of a jelly, and then llraincd through flannel wliile 

 hot. Wlu-n this coating is dry, eight or ton more mull be 

 applied, conlilling of the fame fize, mixed with fm^- plaller 

 of Paris, or walhed chalk, or powdered whiting ; which 

 mixture mud be made by melting the fize, aad llrewing 

 the whiting, &c. gradually into it, (lirring them well toge- 

 ther, that they may be thoroughly incorporated. Tliis is 

 laid on with a ftift brufli, and oftencr or fcldomer repeated, 

 according to the nature of the work; for pieces of fculp- 

 ture, fevcn or eight layers fuffice : for flat, or fmooth works, 

 they ufe ten or twelve. In the latter cafe they are applied 

 by drawing the brufli or pencil over the work : in the 

 former, by dabbing it fmartly on, that the fize may enter all 

 the dents of the carving. 



After the laft coal is laid on, and before it be quite dry, 

 a brulli pencil, dipped in water, fliould be pafTed over the 

 whole, to fmooth it, and take away anv inequalities that 

 may have been formed ; and when it is dry, the parts that 

 admit of it ftiould be again brufhed over till they arc per- 

 fectly even. The work fnould then be repaired, by freeing 

 all the cavities from the priming : after which a water polifli 

 ihould be given to the parts defign&d to be burnidied, by 

 rubbing them gently with a fine linen rag moillened with 

 water. 



When the whole work is become qi'.ite dry, a moderately 

 thick layer mull be applied, compofed of Jize and bole, or 

 yellow ochre. DofTie, in the Handmaid to the Arts, gives 

 the following recipe for the fimpleft compofitions, ufed as 

 the proper cement or gilding fize in this kind of gilding : 

 " I'ake any quantity of bole armeniac, and add fome 

 water to it, that it may foak till it grow foft. Levigate it 

 then on the ftone, but not with more water than will pre- 

 vent its being of a ftiff confidence, and add to it a little 

 purified fuet or tallow fcraped ; and grind them together. 

 When this is wanted for ufe, dilute it to the confiilence of 

 cream, by parchment or glovers' fize, mixed with double 

 its quantity of water, and made warm. Some melt the fuet 

 or tallow, and mix it previoufly with five or fix times its 

 weight of chalk before it is put to the bole, to facilitate their 

 commixture, to which in this wet Hate they are fomewhat 

 repugnant. It is alfo fometimes praftifed to put foap fuds 

 to the bole ; which will contribute to its uniting with the 

 tallow." (See Gold Size.) Let this comp»fition be 

 diluted with warm fize mixed with two-thirds of water, and 

 let it be fpread with a brufii over the whole of the work, and 

 then fuffered to dry ; and then let the fame mixture be ap- 

 plied in the fame manner, at leaft once more. After the lall; 

 coat, it Ihould be rubbed in the parts to be burnifhed with a 

 foft cloth, till it be perfeftly even. Some add a little ver- 

 milion to the gilding fize, and others colour the work, if 

 carved, before it be laid on, with yellow and the glovers' 

 fiza ; to which a little vermilion, or red lead, Ihould be added. 

 This latl method is defigned to give the appearance of gilding 

 to the deeper and obfcure parts of the carving, where the 

 gold cannot, or is not thought neceflary to be laid on. But 

 this praflice is much dlfufed ; and inltead of it fuch parts of 

 the wor.k are coloured after gilding ; wliich opei'ation is 

 called " Matting." 



The work being thus prepared fliould be fet in a pofition 

 fomewhat declining from the operator ; who, having at hand 

 a cup of clean water, and fome hair pencils, moiitens a part 

 of the work, and then applies the gold leaf to the part fo 

 moiilened in the manner already directed under the article 

 Oi/-GlLDlNG, till it be completely covered, or till it be 

 too dry to take the gold. This will immediately adhere on 

 being prefled with the cotton ball. The operator proceeds 



to moiften the next part of the work, and apply the gold as 

 before, repeating the operation till the whole is completed. 

 If, in examining the work, any parts fhould appear to need 

 being repaired, they (hould be moillened as befoic, and" 

 covered with the gold ; but care (hould he taken that no 

 part be miffed in the firll operation, as it is not fo eafily 

 mended as in oil-gilding : nor (liould any drops of water be 

 fuffered to fall on the pcrfeft part of the gilding, as the "o\i 

 is very apt to turn black in this flatc. T!ie work being 

 thus far gilt, when dry, and fit for the purpofe, which it 

 will ufually be in about twenty-four hours, remains, cither 

 to be burniflied, or matted. 



The proper period for this purpofe can onlv be afcer- 

 tained by experience, and varies at different feafons. The 

 mode of dillingnifliing the fitnefs of the work to take tho 

 burnifii, is to try two or three particular parts at a diftance 

 from each other ; and if tiiefe take tlie polidi well, the whole 

 may be concluded to be in a fit Hate. But if tl:e gold peel 

 off, or be difordered by the rubbing, the work muft be 

 deemed not fufficicntly dry ; and if the gold bear the rub- 

 bing well, and yet receives the polifh (lowly, it is a proof 

 of its being too dry, which (hould be prevented by watching 

 the proper time. For the work, when too drv, both re- 

 quires much more labour to burnifh it, and fails at lall of 

 taking fo fins a poli(h. 



To burni(h it, is to fmooth and polini it with a burnifher, 

 which is ufually a dog's or wolf's tooth, or a blood-ftonc, 

 an agate, or a pebble, or fomcthing elfe very fmooth, fitted 

 iri a handle for that purpofe. 



To mat, is to give it a light lick in the places not bur- 

 niflied, with a pencil dipped in fize, wliercin a little ver- 

 milion fometimes has been mixed. This helps to preferve 

 it, and prevent its flawing, when handled. Or, it is to cover 

 the liollow parts with a colour the ncareft in appearance to 

 gold. 



Some recommend for this purpofe red lead, with a little 

 vermilion ground with the white of an egg ; but yellow 

 ochre, or Dutch pink, wath red lead, would better anfwcr 

 tlie end ; or the terra eli Siemiii, very flightly burnt, or mixed 

 with a little red lead, would have a much better effecl, and 

 be more durable than any other mixture fo near the colour 

 of gold in (liade. Ifinglafs fize will likcwife fupply the 

 place of the whites of eggs. Tliis operation of matting 

 fuperfedcs the necelfity of yellowing, which is intended to 

 give the appearance of gilding to the deeper and obfcure 

 parts of the carving where tlie gold cannot, nor is tliought 

 neceffary to bo laid on. 



The laft thing is to apply a vermeil, or lacquei", in all the 

 little lines and cavities; and to (fop and amend any little 

 faults witli (hell-gold. 



The compolition liere called lermiil, is made of gum 

 gutta, vermilion, and a little of fome ruddy brown colour, 

 ground together with Venice varnifli and oil of turpentine 

 Some gilders, in heu of this, content theiufclves witli line 

 lacca, or dragon's-blood, witli gum-water. 



Sometimes, inftead of burnifliing the gold, they bumi/h 

 the ground or compofition laid on lall before it ; aucT con- 

 tent themfelves afterwards to wafli the part over witli lize. 

 This method is chiefly praAifed for the hands, face, and 

 other nudities in relievo; which, bv this means, do not ap- 

 pear fo very brilliant as the parts burnilhed ; though much 

 moi-e fo than the parts perfeclly flat, or matted. 



To gild a work, and yet preferve white grounds, 

 they apply a lavcr of Spanifh white mixed with 

 a weak fi(li-glue, on all the parts of the ground where- 

 on the yellow, or the layer next under the gold, migiit 



XT.n. 



GlUilSG, 



