Gold is thought to have been produced in supernova nucleosynthesis, and from the collision of neutron stars, and to have been present in the dust from which the Solar System formed. The oldest known map of a gold mine was drawn in the 19th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt (1320–1200 BC), whereas the first written reference to gold was recorded in the 12th Dynasty around 1900 BC. Egyptian hieroglyphs from as early as 2600 BC describe gold, which King Tushratta of the Mitanniclaimed was “more plentiful than dirt” in Egypt.
Egypt and especially Nubia had the resources to make them major gold-producing areas for much of history. A relatively rare element, gold is a precious metal that has been used for coinage, jewelry, and other arts throughout recorded history. In the past, a gold standard was often implemented as a monetary policy. Gold is associated with perfect or divine principles, such as in the case of the golden ratio and the golden rule. Gold is further associated with the wisdom of aging and fruition. Gold would quickly come to signify not only godliness, but wealth, purity, and prestige. Indeed, throughout human history, works of art incorporating gold have served myriad purposes, from displays of piety to displays of economic power and luxury.
Reminiscent of luxury, success, achievement, triumph, royalty, and fortune, the color Gold is named after the precious metal of the same name. The meaning of the color Gold is multifaceted, often denoting generosity and compassion, as well as being synonymous with divinity and power. I Inspired by the use of gold in medieval and renaissance art, the Austrian Symbolist painter, Gustav Klimt, employed gold leaf in his portraits of women. In a time that saw the increasing popularity of realist paintings and the commercialisation of art, artists were often commissioned to paint pub signs and still lives to hang in the houses of the growing middle classes.