The Golden Sun

About this work

Symmetry gives this sun its authority. The face sits dead centre, eyes open and level with your own, and every element around it is mirrored in perfect balance from left to right. First comes the beaded rim, a neat ring of small raised beads, then the rays, where wavy, flame-like tongues alternate with long straight points, so the outline seems to flicker and stab at the same time. Because the background is pure black, nothing competes with the metal. The surface looks polished and sculpted, like gilded metal or carved and gilded wood, with highlights rolling over the cheeks, nose and brow and darker gold settling into the hollows. Up close you see the modelling of the lips and eyelids; from across a room the sun becomes one bold, radiant emblem, steady and a little theatrical.

The sun with a human face was a favourite emblem of the baroque age, and no ruler made more of it than Louis XIV of France. In 1653, at the age of fourteen, he appeared as the rising sun in the Ballet royal de la Nuit, a long court entertainment that ended with the dawn, and the image stayed with him for life. He became known as le Roi Soleil, the Sun King, and radiant sun faces, often linked with Apollo, recur in the gilded decoration of Versailles. Carvers and metalworkers across Europe borrowed the motif for clocks, mirrors and church ornaments. This picture belongs to that tradition of gilded relief, though it is an original design rather than a copy of any one piece.

Deep, saturated walls suit it best: bottle green, navy, aubergine or charcoal make the gold look richer still, while white gives it a crisp, graphic edge. Choose a black frame for a modern setting or an ornate gilt one to lean into the baroque. Without a mat, the black ground runs to the frame and the sun seems to float. Hang it opposite The Golden Zodiac for a celestial pair, or beside Apollo in Gold, where thin gold rays crown the god of light. A warm picture light brings out the polished highlights. Printed from the 7168 × 10752 px file, it stays sharp to about 60 × 90 cm, a strong size above a fireplace. A Frame TV version with a gallery mat is included too.