Ver Sacrum
I restore water-gilded and oil-gilded frames, mostly Secession and Biedermeier pieces. Over 14 years I have finished about 430 frames and matched 22-karat leaf across roughly 60 gallery commissions. I keep a bench log for every job, partly because clients ask, partly because I forget which recipe worked otherwise.
Practice
Soprano Gilding Studio
Founder · 2016 – Present · Vienna
- Run a two-bench workshop restoring 45 to 55 frames a year for private collectors and 6 regional galleries.
- Rebuilt water gilding on a set of 9 Secession salon frames, keeping burnish loss under 3 percent per panel.
- Trained 4 apprentices in bole preparation and agate burnishing since 2019.
Atelier Grünwald Restauration
Senior Gilder · 2011 – 2016 · Vienna
- Handled the gold-leaf bench for 180-plus museum-loan frames across 5 years.
- Cut regilding turnaround from 11 to 7 days by pre-mixing bole in 3-tone batches.
Halbmond Kunsthandwerk
Restoration Assistant · 2009 – 2011 · Graz
- Prepared gesso grounds and rabbit-skin glue for a team of 3 senior gilders.
- Documented 240 frame profiles into a reference archive still used by the shop.