Are gilded bevels archival?ApproveRejectUn-ApproveSubscribeUn-Unsubscribe
Question asked 2017-02-14 14:53:57 ...
Most recent comment 2017-02-14 15:01:00
Art Conservation Topics
Gilding
Matting, Framing, and Glazing
I gild the bevels of my archival mat boards, and I am wondering if this affects their archival-ness. I use acrylic paint, water-based size, and 23K or other genuine gold leaf.
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Moderator Answer
(Kristin deGhetaldi)
I am sure you are purchasing and using good quality archival mat boards but it might be worthwhile for you to read over our section regarding archival paper products in our "Flexible Supports" document that can be found in the Resources section. I am assuming you are first toning the surface with the acrylic paint? As far as the gold leaf is concerned you really want to avoid potential formation of corrosion down the line if you are using anything other than 22-24K. If your alloy contains copper and your artwork gets exposed to humid environments or even direct contact with water (lets hope that doesn't happen), the paper-acrylic-size layer beneath your gold will likely react with any copper that is present and could eventually lead to the formation of corrosion products and even flaking. While this could still potentially happen with 22 and 23K, it is less likely to be a problem in the long run.
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