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Oil Gilded Finishes
Oil gilding entails the use of a special varnish which when applied to the entire surface and allowed to dry to the proper tack, allows the leaf to adhere. This may be done on any surface, and is commonly used in architectural gilding due to the fact that it is not water soluble.
The American Impressionists (Whistler, Hassam, Weir, Twachtman and others) were inspired by developments in Paris and Oriental art, as well as by their American predecessors, in their own designs for frames. New forms including reeded profiles, steps, stylized floral and animal forms, Gothic simplicity and an abundance of non-classical ornamentation all called for new considerations in gilded effects. Oil gilding was cultivated to a peak during this period.
The effect of oil gilding is somewhere between matte and burnished gold of a water gilding surface. This method facilitated the use of less precious metal leaves such as copper (already a minor component in yellow gold) in a variety of non-gold like shades.
Unlike earlier in the 19th century when silver was covered with warm varnishes to simulate the more expensive yellow gold, copper and other alloys were featured freely for their own patina. A lemon gold shade also appeared during this time period and was especially favored by Childe Hassam.
What oil gilded finishes lose in brilliance, and luster, they gain in their own textural and tonal versatility.