Sebastiaan van Soest

Goudleer-Atelier Van Soest

Leather gilder

©Goudleeratelier Van Soest

Preserving an ancient Dutch skill

Sebastiaan’s mission is to preserve the tradition of gilding leather
He aims to breathe new life into the art, giving it a contemporary feel
Restoration of gilded leather objects also forms part of his work

Sebastiaan van Soest was trained by his father, H.A.B. van Soest, who was a pioneer in preserving and restoring existing gilded leather and in making new pieces. “I literally grew up with gilded leather. My father taught me to create it at my mother’s knee. Wherever my parents went to work, they used to take my sister and me along,” he says. This delicate and meticulous technique of decorating leather dates back to the 6th century. Contrary to what one could assume, given its name, gilded leather is not worked with gold leaf but rather with very thin sheets of silver leaf. In order for the silver not to oxidise, layers of natural varnish are applied, lending it its final golden colour.

Interview

©Goudleeratelier Van Soest

When did you become involved in the business?: In the 1990s, our workshop created a gilded leather room for a replica of royal palace Huis ten Bosch at the Holland Village in Japan. That was the first time I was actively involved. Since I did not want this craft to be lost, I took it up again a few years after my father’s death.
Is leather gilding typical of the Netherlands?: Cities in the north of the Netherlands, especially Amsterdam and The Hague, were important centres of gilded leather production. In the Netherlands, both in the 17th century as well as the 18th, gilded leather was enormously popular as a wall covering.
How is it different from gilded leather made elsewhere?: The gilded leather in the Netherlands is known for its strong relief. In Spain and France they chiefly used sheep and goat leather. In the Netherlands, however, they mostly used beautiful, smooth calfskin leather.
Can you describe a couple of your proudest achievements?: Restoring three gold leather chairs belonging to the Queen of the Netherlands. And the collaboration with Edward van Vliet, with whom I developed a new pattern that was presented at the exhibition Masterly – The Dutch in Milan in 2018.

Sebastiaan van Soest is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1989 and he started teaching in 2020