Marino Menegazzo hammers gold leaf by hand into sheets 200 times thinner than a human hair. He works in the same studio where Titian, one of Italy’s great Renaissance artists, once lived and painted. Now Menegazzo’s craft, where the hand can still beat a machine, is on the edge of extinction.
The World's Greatest Goldbeater originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine focused on master artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge, and free of advertising.
Written by ERLA ZWINGLE
Introduction by SUMMER BROWN
Narrated by DINAH BERKELEY
Produced by LARRY ROSEN
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN