study task 2 - a history of art in three colours - gold

Gold : A History of Art in Three Colours (Ep1)
For the very first civilisations and also our own, the yellow lustre of gold is the most alluring and intoxicating colour of all. From the midst of pre-history to a bunker deep beneath the Bank of England, Dr James Fox reveals how golden treasures made across the ages reflect everything we have held as sacred.

'I think this colour is one of the most alluring and beguiling colours of them all' (gold)

in religious art gold represented not material things but immaterial things, and its perhaps the most immaterial thing of them all. 
'the gold is not just representing god looking at us and sitting on a throne, god is mingling with us, transforming us, communicating with us'
no other colour responded to light or reflected light in the way gold did, that's why for Christians it became the colour of the light of god.
its interesting to wonder did the church commission art and use gold as a sign of their power and might, or as a sign of their religious devotion? probably a bit of both 

'in the consumer age, gold came to represent little more than wealth itself'
'from the 1500's there was a flowering of wonderful golden jewels, flights of fancy made to satisfy the vanity of kings queens and their courts'
'what its really about is power politics and above all status'
'king Francis the 1st was of of Europe's most flamboyant and art loving monarchs, he wanted to make his kingdom the centre of the renaissance' - a clear example of how power and money control the flow of high culture

'endlessly reproduced, this kiss has just become another golden idol of our consumer century'

personal overview:
its interesting to thing of the importance of gold in art culture and how gold has such strong connotations in our society of wealth and power. the use of it in art therefore is very complex and very interesting. the most relevant parts of this episode to my quote were those focusing on the use of gold from the 1500's onwards, especially the pieces commissioned by kings and royals. the amount of money and power over the creation of art, objects and therefore culture is insane and amazing, some of the things created featured in the episode just the pure amount o work and dedication put into them is stunning let alone the pieces themselves. but it is interesting to realise almost any gold object existing in an art gallery or museum must only ever come from a position of wealth, it was such a valuable material that work created with it is literally only commsiionable by the rich and powerful, they have the full control in this strand of our culture.

some interesting examples I saw of gold used in artwork when in poland, the first as a sign of devotion and worship, the second as a symbol of luxury wealth and power