When did gold become a colour? In this episode we journey from the majestic mosaics of the Byzantine era to the brilliantly burnished panel paintings of the early Renaissance to answer this very question. 

Join Laura Llewellyn, National Gallery Curator of Italian Paintings before 1500, art historian and educator Ben Street and National Gallery host Beks on this sparkling adventure. Together, they delve into the Gallery’s paintings to explore how artists were creating with gold and capturing this glittering metal in paint. 

Laura Llewellyn is Curator of Italian Paintings Before 1500 here at the National Gallery. She was also the co-curator of our exhibition ‘Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300-1350'. 

Ben Street is an art historian and educator. He is the author of ‘How to Enjoy Art: A Guide for Everyone’ and the award-winning children’s book ‘How to be an Art Rebel’. 

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Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/gisKAcY-5XA

You can email us with any questions via podcast@nationalgallery.org.uk

Find out more about the podcast on our website: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast

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Paintings mentioned:

Masaccio, 'The Virgin and Child', 1426. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/masaccio-the-virgin-and-child  

Jacopo di Cione, 'The Crucifixion', about 1369-70. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jacopo-di-cione-the-crucifixion  

Bridget Riley, 'Messengers', 2019. The National Gallery, London © 2019 Bridget Riley https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/bridget-riley-messengers  

Fra Angelico, 'Fiesole San Domenico Altarpiece', about 1423-4. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/fra-angelico-christ-glorified-in-the-court-of-heaven  

Andrea Mantegna, 'The Virgin and Child with the Magdalen and Saint John the Baptist', about 1490-1505. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/andrea-mantegna-the-virgin-and-child-with-saints  

Giovanni Bellini, 'The Agony in the Garden', about 1458-60. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/giovanni-bellini-the-agony-in-the-garden  

Sandro Botticelli, 'Birth of Venus', around 1485. The Uffizi Gallery, Firenze, Italy https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/birth-of-venus  

Sandro Botticelli, 'Saint Francis of Assisi with Angels', about 1475-80. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/sandro-botticelli-saint-francis-of-assisi-with-angels  

Titian, 'Bacchus and Ariadne', 1520-3. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/titian-bacchus-and-ariadne 

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Further reading:

Discover more on gold in the National Gallery’s collection on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diJUaHMnazU https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvb2y26xK6Y6T7IfNAc1jMa_zMoX231MX  

Take a closer look at the use of gold in Jacopo di Cione’s 'The Crucifixion': https://artsandculture.google.com/story/4gUB2kjMQI3paA 

Find out more about the the National Gallery’s past exhibition ‘Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300-1350' (2025): https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/past/siena-the-rise-of-painting 

Find out more about the winter solstice: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/solstices-equinoxes 

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Episode credits: 

Guests: Laura Llewellyn and Ben Street 

Host and executive producer: Beks Leary  

Producer: Harry Rosehill  

Researcher: Hannah Rogers  

Technicians: Ian Warren and Tom Gulliver 

Video editors: Amber Akaunu and Alessandro Sorenti 

Theme music: Theo Elwell