The original stonework

With lead paint ready for gold leaf and smalt

The finished result

On the West Front, in addition to the gold leaf, colour has been introduced to the pediment and the decorative frieze by using an Italian technique called smalting. Smalt is glass which is strongly coloured with cobalt oxide and reduced to a powder. It is sprayed onto lead paint that has been previously applied to the stone. This is the first time in living memory that this technique has been used in the UK.

Sean Doxey
Head of Special Projects