What is 'patination' and how does it occur?
Have you ever walked past a beautiful old statue anywhere in the world and wondered why the figure is blueish green, or even black, despite the sculpture being made of a typically brown metal like bronze or copper?
This colour variance is due to a process called patination which can occur because of chemical treatments during the statue’s creation, or through the natural processes of oxidisation and weathering.
Patination is the process of developing a thin layer, called a patina, on the surface of materials like metal, wood, or stone. Forming naturally over time, when the metal reacts with oxygen, moisture and pollutants, the reaction creates a protective layer of copper carbonate, sulfate, or chloride, resulting in the characteristic green colour, known as verdigris.
Patination is historically valued in art, architecture, and restoration for its aesthetic and protective qualities, and can take up to 30 years to fully develop naturally.
One prominent local example of patination is the Rose Park Burnside District Fallen Soldiers' Memorial, which last year celebrated its centenary.
Sculpted by Charles Web Gilbert and manufactured in 1924 by French metalworker Ferdinand Barbedienne, the memorial was deliberately chemically treated at the time of creation to encourage the patination process.
Other famous bronze or copper statues that have undergone the patination process include:
- The Statue of Liberty, New York
- The Thinker, Paris
- The Capitoline Wolf, Italy
- The Eros, London.
About the artist C. W. Gilbert
Charles Web Gilbert (1867–1925) was a self-taught Australian sculptor known for his war memorials and public statues. Originally a pastry chef, he transitioned to sculpture and gained recognition for works such as the Matthew Flinders statue in Melbourne and several ANZAC memorials, including the Cenotaph in Hobart. His detailed and expressive bronze figures contributed significantly to Australia's early 20th-century commemorative art.
Read more about the centenary of the Rose Park Burnside District Fallen Soldiers Memorial and the history behind the statue HERE.
