Patina finishers give sculptures and medals their final luster. Metal is a long-lasting material, but it is sensitive to its environment. Without a patina, a bronze artwork will turn a greyish-green color and a silver coin will blacken.
Possessing a perfect understanding of the oxidation process, patina experts work metal to give it the desired finish. They use heat when working on sculptures and cold processes for medals.
Patina finishers use a brush to apply chemical products to metal, and then heat it until the surface reaches the desired color. The patina is then fixed with a fine layer of wax. The more experienced the patina finisher, the more subtle the shades of patina they can apply. Expert artisans master a range of some 20 colors, from pale green to a dark, coppery brown: fine shades obtained using natural chemical reactions only.
On the Notre-Dame de Paris site
Whether inside or outside Notre-Dame de Paris, sculptures adorn every part of the cathedral!
The sixteen monumental statues that adorned the spire of Notre-Dame were removed for restoration in workshops just a few days before the fire.
During the securing phase, metal sculpture restorers spent nearly two years restoring the form and original brown color of the statues. Patina finishers are the last people to intervene in sculpture restoration by performing an extremely delicate final operation. Their technical expertise has enabled them to apply the original color to the sculptures – a dark-brown shade that is confirmed by photographs of Notre-Dame’s spire taken in 1860.
How to become a patina finisher?
No specific qualifications are required to work as a patina finisher. Above all, patina finishing requires great proficiency in metalworking. The basics of the trade can be acquired by training as a founder or bronze worker.
Patina finishers are generally trained in workshops. An apprenticeship with a qualified professional or in an art foundry is the only way to acquire the expertise required to become a patina finisher.
