Bronze Patina Colours & Finishes

A patina is the coloured surface finish applied to a bronze sculpture. It allows a wide range of colours and patterns, from classic black and deep brown to blues, greens and warm polished highlights, and each finish is built up using techniques passed down from master foundry artisans.

Browse the bronze patina finishes below to see what is possible when customising a bronze sculpture. The patina can be chosen to suit your space, and many sculptors will apply a chosen finish on a commissioned work. See our bronze sculpture for sale and the wider Australian sculpture collection, or contact the gallery to talk through a finish.

How a bronze patina is applied

Once a bronze has been cast and finished, the foundry heats the surface with a torch and brushes or sprays on chemical solutions that react with the metal. Liver of sulphur gives browns and blacks, ferric nitrate gives warm golds, reds and ambers, and cupric nitrate gives the blues and greens associated with weathered bronze. Colours are layered and partly rubbed back to build depth, then the surface is sealed with wax, and sometimes a clear lacquer.

Caring for a patinated bronze

Indoors, dust with a soft cloth and re-wax once or twice a year. Outdoors, wash gently with water and a mild soap, then apply a clear paste wax every six to twelve months, more often near the coast. Avoid abrasive or acidic cleaners, which strip the patina. A patina naturally deepens with age, and a foundry can refresh or re-patinate a work if needed.