For a moment, put yourself in the position of a medieval peasant in a rural village or even on pilgrimage. Most colors and materials you see are naturally sourced: plant dyes of walnut brown, woad blue, madder red, and weld yellow all appear in clothing, while the architecture around you is typically straw thatch, waddle and daub walls, timber frames, or plain stone structures. But when we step into a cathedral, we would be met with a heavenly vision as the doors opened and revealed a room set aglow with colored glass, gold, and silver. These magnificent pieces of glass and metal work are too easily passed over today when we are inundated with glass, floor-to-ceiling walls, metallic jewelry and trinkets at every store, and “gold” or “gems” in the form of plastic and paint. But there remain craftsmen who treasure these materials, feel the wonder they inspired centuries ago, and reserve them for the holy of holies within our churches.

Gold, a metal found pure in nature, non-reactive, and malleable was perfect for early historic ornaments. Anywhere it was unearthed, gold quickly became the mark of wealth, beauty, and devotion. Jewelry for the wealthy, crowns for kings, and religious objects were refined with techniques like repoussé, casting, and enameling. But with the industrial explosion in mining and readily accessible metals, rare or not, it’s easy to forget that even owning fine metalwork items would have made quite the statement not too long ago. Gilding is a younger art but still has its origins as far back as classical Greece and Egypt. Interior and exterior surfaces could be gilded and last for centuries, ensuring the beauty and value of the object or architectural feature. In religious traditions, gold leaf could easily adorn venerated images, tabernacles, reliquaries, and much more. Like all precious materials, gold leaf is reserved for the most sacred objects and places, setting them apart from the earthly realm and transforming them into heavenly works of art.

Peter Voshart, founder of Linova and expert in traditional and modern gilding systems based in the Netherlands and Germany, attests to the strength, utility, and beauty of gold and its diverse uses in restoration and art. Traditionally, gold leaf is applied with an oil-based adhesive called size which is left to cure before gold leaf is carefully applied. Size today is manufactured to be slow or fast drying depending on the project. The excess is then brushed away in a process called skewing. Sounds simple, but the margin for error is wide as you have to ensure the size is evenly applied, the gold is flush with the surface with no wrinkles, and be careful not to over-brush and wear away the incredibly thin gold until you can see the size below. This process, and the number of other ways to apply gold leaf, is a painstaking process that requires a significant amount of labor, as Voshart rightly points out “Gold stays for thousands and thousands of years…The traditional methods are really, really good. They came from a long time ago and at that time labor was cheap. Gold was expensive but labor was cheap but today labor is expensive along with the gold so that’s why it can be better to choose modern products for gilding.”

Voshart has met with the department responsible for restoring picture frames at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where they have discovered exactly what people used when modern products were not available: “The most strange things! Anything that was a little tacky so eggs, sugar, oil, a lot of things. And then you can see the faults they have made so it’s not a good idea to make those mistakes again because our abilities today are much broader.” Nonetheless, Voshart believes that “you have to know the traditional ways before you start with restoration or with modern products. It’s really important that you know the whole field of possibilities and then you can make your choice.” Gold has never waned in popularity and, likewise, such a remarkable craft that produces such beauty will thankfully never go out of style.

To Voshart, the future of gilding looks bright as modern capabilities allow us to broaden the uses of gold beyond picture frames and domes. Young artists enjoy working with gold leaf and, depending on the price of gold at a given point, will create art that lasts as long as the gold itself. As with many crafts, you get what you pay for – and there is no substitute for the strength, utility, and beauty of gold.

Comparable to the enduring popularity of gold, glass is everywhere from cups to tables to windows. But this used to be a fine art worth as much as rare gems. As early as the 7th century, glassmakers in the Middle East and southeast Asia created glass vessels, windows, and jewelry that glowed different colors. As time processed and civilizations grew and supported specialized artisans, glass-blowing and manipulation became a regional marvel. 13th century Venice gave way to Murano glass and the nearby Mamluks created lamps for their mosques that threw shadows of enameled scripture and images onto the walls. At the same time, stained glass of the High Middle Ages was born, with soaring lancet windows and ornate reliquaries. These glassworks were meant to instruct, memorialize, and beautify a sacred interior. Today, modern churches like Church of the Covenant in Boston, MA showcase their masterful glasswork and gilding as a celebration of these incredible ancient trades.

In today’s terms, the title of the only accredited stained-glass conservator in the United States is synonymous with a master of stained-glass conservation. This same conservator, Roberto Rosa of Serpentino Studios, often hears the familiar question: stained-glass…isn’t that a lost art? But he says it could not be further from the truth: “I don’t think it’s a lost art, it’s definitely rare. It’s a niche and it’s not something that you encounter every day for sure, but it’s not a lost art. I don’t quite know why people call it a lost art. Maybe because it is an ancient craft and something that’s been around since the 11th century or older must be a lost art!”

This is so often the case with traditional craftsmanship, and while it cannot be denied that there are fewer studios that restore stained glass, a number of them still exist and proudly practice their craft every day. As Rosa elaborates, this craft has remained remarkably unchanged:

“I always like to tell people that if you could take a stained-glass craftsman from the 12th century and magically put him in the studio today, within 10 to 15 minutes he’d be able to figure things out and work as if he was back in the 12th century. The only difference today is that we have electricity. Better glass cutters and tools, sure, but the craft itself is the same; the design, lead, material, most of the tool are exactly the same down to the horseshoe nails we use to hold pieces of glass together in place as we put a window back together. Electricity is the main difference.”

This beautiful continuity of craft in both stained-glass and gilding is visible in one of the most unique artistic periods in the world: the Aesthetic Movement in America. This period valued craftsmanship and artistry of combining old and new techniques, just as Voshart and Rosa have seen in their careers. A prime example of this period is the Church of the Covenant in Boston, MA which houses largest collection of Tiffany stained-glass windows and original decoration in the world, completed with layered glass and magnificent gilding.

Through these techniques, Rosa and Serpentino Studios have made huge strides in restoring the largest collection of Tiffany stained-glass windows and original decoration in the world – all at Church of the Covenant. The interior is of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s design from the 1893 Columbian Exhibition held in Chicago, including the magnificent electric chandelier adorned with hand-blown glass baubles and gilded angels. The windows are comprised of layers of different glass types, all assembled to create certain effects when aglow. Rosa describes this as painting with glass and light since only the flesh was actually painted – the rest has up to 6 layers of glass or features heavily textured glass that bends light and simulates folds of fabric or plants. Serpentino has been slowly restoring each window by painstakingly removing and documenting each layer necessary and cleaning the pieces.

Almost everything about a stained-glass window is irreplaceable. Even if a window had just been made, it was very difficult to exactly replicate its colors if a piece cracked. Thus, historic repairs are often obvious. If a large piece cracked, lead would often be used to mend the seam, unfortunately creating one more black line in the composition. Today, the development of clear epoxy allows conservators to mend a crack almost seamlessly - a testament to realm of possibilities even with a craft so old.

An incredible but often overlooked element of these windows is the artistry of these lead canes. The lead could be manipulated to have certain colors and even sculpted to look like stems, complete with thorns and leaves. Rosa states that, “sometimes just by looking at the window, you can tell that the lead was purposely and intentionally part of the design where there are these beautiful sweeping lines and the artist used them as his brushstroke… When you look at the leading on a La Farge window, it’s not just grey and black lines on a window. If you look closely, the leads are manipulated and carefully mitered, some leads have little cuts in them to look like leaves so they put a lot of work and attention to detail into the leading and, if this lead is in good condition and you take that apart, you’ve taken away the original artist’s work.”

Unfortunately, such artistry, while one of a kind, is not visible from the pews. Nonetheless, the artistry remains thoughtfully conserved in Church of the Covenant for future conservators and the eyes of God.

Amidst the stained-glass restoration, Canning was responsible for conserving parts of the beautiful lantern crowned with seven cast plaster angels glazed in gold pigments holding seven glass orbs. These, along with the base of the chandelier and bowl, both adorned with glass ornaments, are illuminated by electric light that makes this lantern an incredibly unique centerpiece of the chancel. 

Gold leaf performs best under low light, where it can capture the minimal light in a space and contrast the surrounding darkness. In this church, gilding accents the deep red chancel walls and creates a damask pattern. Below the Gothic wood fretwork, a dazzling Byzantine-style mosaic frames the Alpha and Omega, a stylized JHS creating a cross, and the sign of St. Peter. As the only gold in the entire sanctuary, this beautiful work and the lantern above it draws the eye to the very heart of the church. Should your eye wander about the interior, you are met with the perfectly preserved Old Testament saints, angels, and holy family.   

“I feel honored and grateful to collaborate with craftspeople and artists who create beautiful work,” says Voshart. “Sharing knowledge is essential—for art, architecture, heritage, and product innovation. I still learn every day—and I hope I can contribute something in return.”

For Rosa, after nearly four decades, the reward is simple: “After 38 years of being involved in stained glass conservation and the incredible projects I’ve had the honor and the pleasure of working on, and the people I’ve met…that’s all the riches I need. That’s what makes it all worth it to me.” This is the dedication and passion that will keep craftsmen in both stained glass and gilding going for centuries to come.

A huge thank you to the Church of the Covenant for the use of their images. If you would like to learn more about this historic interior, visit their website here.

Join us for this year's Catholic Art Institute Conference in Washington, DC! Presenting on this year's theme is an impressive lineup of award winning speakers including: Fr. Patrick van der Vorst, former Sotheby's director and founder of the Christian.art website, as well as Precentor at the Westminster Cathedral, London. Award winning Architects Duncan Stroik and James McCrery, will also be presenting along with award winning composer Dr. Mark Nowakowski and screenwriter, Dr. Barbara Nicolosi, as well as a workshop by David Ricco, President of Canning Liturgical Arts.

For complete details and to register please visit: https://www.catholicartinstitute.org/conference2025

Discounted Hotel Room Block Ends Aug 20th!

When performed well, gilding has the power to signify beauty, richness, greatness, and to elevate minds and hearts to ponder nobility or even divinity. 

Read More