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Gold used in art doesn't behave like ordinary yellow paint.
A thin layer of gold can reflect light strongly, producing changing highlights as the viewer or light source moves.
Artists used this property in illuminated manuscripts, icons, paintings, and decorative objects.
The surface can appear brighter from one angle and less reflective from another.
This means the artwork can seem to change as the viewer moves.
Gold was therefore valuable not only because it was precious, but because it had distinctive visual qualities.
A static artwork can create a surprisingly dynamic experience through reflected light alone.
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art