Corso Leonello - Trama d'oro

Trama d'Oro is an abstract work by artist Corso Leonello, distinguished by its powerful materiality and luxurious elegance. The painting is an exploration of repetition, texture, and light, transforming the canvas into a precious bas-relief. The composition, perfectly square, features a strict internal structure contrasted with a sumptuous finish.
Technique, Materials, and Composition
The artwork was entirely handcrafted on a stretched canvas, where the artist combined painting and sculptural techniques to achieve a highly impactful tactile and visual result.
Leonello built up the painting's relief using high-quality plaster. This material was applied in a meticulously repeated pattern, creating a dense texture of scales or inverted U motifs. The structural use of plaster gives the work a three-dimensional dimension, inviting the viewer to perceive the painting not just as an image, but as an object.
The entire structured field of the plaster is then covered with gold leaf. The manual application of gold leaf on the reliefs enhances the texture, capturing and reflecting light dynamically. Depending on the lighting, the color of the gold changes, emphasizing shadows in the cavities and brilliance on the ridges, creating a sense of movement.
The precious central golden area is framed by a clear, dark border. The sides of the canvas have been finished with black acrylic paint, which provides a strong geometric and textural contrast with the shiny, textured gold.
The entire work is sealed with a professional varnish. This protective coating is essential not only to preserve the delicate gold leaf and the texture of the plaster but also to enhance its shine, giving the surface a lacquered and durable appearance.
"Trama d'Oro" is a work that evokes a sense of ancient opulence and, at the same time, modern austerity. The repetition of the motif suggests chainmail, dragon skin, or an ancient treasure, infusing the painting with a sense of mystery and grandeur. It is a piece that not only decorates but also conveys a profound feeling of material richness and artisanal mastery.
Signed and dated on the back by the artist to guarantee its authenticity.