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Journey through colour

Gold and Silver

Finally, although not part of the conventional spectrum of colour, the exhibition focuses on dazzling gold and silver. This room demonstrates the extremely important role gold and silver played in European painting. They were precious colours, with gold used to embellish many impressive religious works.

Used for its striking glittering effect in works for palaces and churches, the Gold and Silver displays include Jacopo di Cione’sThe Crucifixion’, and Sandro Botticelli’sSaint Francis of Assisi with Angels’ with its twinkling tooled gold background.


Detail from Sandro Botticelli, ‘Saint Francis of Assisi with Angels’, about 1475-80