Gold Leaf Artwork by Artist Andrew Mortimer
Gold leaf art has long been associated with luxury, symbolism, and timeless beauty. As a contemporary British artist, I incorporate traditional gilding techniques into painted portraits and modern mixed-media artworks, creating luminous, reflective surfaces that change with light and movement.
My work has taken two paths, portraiture, figurative paintings and drawings often incorporating gold leaf; and more modern gold leaf artworks, blending photography and painting through the layering of pigment inks, paints, glazes, and textured substrates, resulting in artworks that explore light, texture, and spatial balance. Editions are very limited, the gilding and painting process ensuring every piece is uniquely individual and unrepeatable.
Contemporary Gold Leaf Artworks for Sale
My collections explore themes of perception, materiality, and transformation through the reflective qualities of gold leaf. The use of gold introduces both historical reference and contemporary dialogue, allowing the works to function as both fine art and architectural statements.
Gold leaf paintings are increasingly sought after by collectors, interior designers, and private clients for their ability to elevate contemporary spaces with light, texture, and luxury presence.
Anulus Collection
Volatu Collection
Ligno Collection
mixed-media works on gold leaf: size and colour options. Each uniquely individual piece is signed, numbered and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity
Bespoke Gold Leaf Art Commissions
I offer bespoke gold leaf commissions for private collectors, interior designers, and commercial spaces. Commissioned works can be tailored to the scale or colour palette of your choice, or to suit specific interiors or curatorial requirements.
Commission enquiries are welcomed for:
Large-scale abstract gold leaf artworks
Custom contemporary portraits on gilded panels or with gold leaf detailing
Site-specific gold leaf artworks for architectural settings
To commission a bespoke gold leaf artwork, please contact me to discuss your requirements, timelines, and budget.
Luna
Mixed-media wall hanging: silver or gold leaf - 2 sizes, limited number. Signed, numbered and certified.
The Process of Creating Gold Leaf Artwork
Gold leaf is applied using traditional gilding techniques, carefully laid onto prepared surfaces and sealed with protective layers. I combine this with traditional painting processes or layered pigment inks, acrylic, and glazes to create depth and subtle shifts in reflection that amplify the connection between imagery and environment.
Each piece undergoes multiple stages of preparation, gilding, painting, and finishing, ensuring finish and durability.
Why Collect Gold Leaf Artwork
Collectors and designers are drawn to gold leaf artwork for its:
Unique reflective qualities
Historical and symbolic resonance
Contemporary luxury aesthetic
Ability to transform architectural space
Gold leaf artworks function both as fine art objects and as sculptural surfaces that respond dynamically to light and viewer movement.
Gold Leaf Art - FAQs
What is Gold Leaf?
Gold is one of the softest and heaviest metals, it is also highly resistant to corrosion from air, heat, moisture and most solvents. Gold leaf is real gold that has been hammered into extremely thin, delicate sheets, usually less than 0.1 microns thick; primarily for gilding - the decorative technique of applying gold to surfaces like wood, metal, or glass. It comes in various grades and is available in loose or transfer sheets. Imitation gold leaf is commonly made from copper and zinc; it’s thicker than real gold and requires sealing to prevent tarnishing.
The history of gold leaf art
The art of using gold leaf dates back to 2600 BC in ancient Egypt, since then gold has symbolised spiritual enlightenment, longevity, power and wealth, often representing divine light in religious works. From Byzantine icons and Gustav Klimt’s modernism, this enduring material connects the spiritual, emotional, and material worlds through its radiant, reflective, and incorruptible nature.
Why do I use gold leaf?
For over 10 years I have increasingly incorporated gold leaf in my artwork as I believe it adds a unique, radiant quality to a surface. Reflected ambient light gives an atmospheric warmth that somehow solidifies its connection to its environment; particularly at certain times of day or under candlelight, which adds a new dimension to artwork, figures which are detailed during the day can become near silhouettes at night.
Gold leaf or imitation leaf?
Whether I use real or imitation gold leaf depends on the surface and medium I’m using; if sealed correctly imitation gold leaf has similar longevity, with little difference to the end result. Due to the layering of elements, with mixed-media work I tend to employ imitation gold as it’s slightly more robust, and slightly more reflective. As a surface for painting I use genuine gold leaf as together they offer softer, richer tones.
Commission gold leaf artwork
Due to it’s symbolic as well as physical properties, I believe any subject can be elevated by incorporating gold leaf; whether painting onto a gilded panel or employed to emphasise subtle details or patterns, it adds a luxurious luminosity that paint cannot replicate.
Commission gold leaf art to make a uniquely personal and meaningful statement, you can commission any subject, any size, simply contact me to get the conversation started, or find more details about the commissioning process below.