“The Question of Casts” – Collecting and Later Reassessment of the Cast Collections at South Kensington

Bilbey, Diane; Trusted, Marjorie; Frederiksen, Rune; Marchand, Eckart

doi:10.1515/9783110216875.463

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…In museums, many historic replicas received less care than 'authentic' original objects and thus were damaged as and when they came off display (Baker, Frederiksen, and Marchand 2010). The value of casts beyond their role in education was questioned (Bilbey and Trusted 2010): there were concerns that the copies were misinterpreted as originals by the viewer, the lack of aura of the copies, and the missing 'connection' of the object with the artist. The topic of authenticity is a recurring and unsolved discussion in various branches of the fine arts.…”

Section: History and Terminologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this review the terms copy, reproduction, and replica will be used as synonyms, as in their original meaning, even though over time they have been adopted with different connotations (for example, 'copy' often implies a sense of 'forgery' for the untrained observer). The role and perception of reproductions are still subject of discussion, constituting what Bilbey and Trusted (2010) defined as 'the question of casts'. Loss of detail in, or even destruction of the original means that while Victorian copies were created to have a disseminating role, they have also become acts of preservation (Brown 2016;Payne 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Materials and Techniques for the Coating of Nineteenth-century Plaster Casts: A Review of Historical Sources

Risdonne

Hubbard

Borges

et al. 2021

Studies in Conservation

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This review paper offers a summary of historical techniques and materials used to produce plaster casts and to treat their surfaces, as found in the historical literature. It reviews a selection of manuals, treatises, and recipe books on the art of the cast makers as well as a selection of patents related to the manufacturing of casts and the coating of their surfaces. The introduction to the review shows how relevant archival, historical, and technical investigation demonstrates that nineteenth century replicas are works of cultural significance in their own right, by means of a synthesis of background information. This paper also offers a brief introduction to plaster moulding and casting as well as a summary of historical recipes on how to treat the surfaces of plaster casts to change the surface properties or their appearance. This review aims therefore to provide a summary of materials used by the nineteenth-century plasterer, and technical information for the use of conservators, researchers, and curators who engage in the care and study of historical plaster casts. Examples from the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection support the information found in the historical literature.

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Section: History and Terminologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Materials and Techniques for the Coating of Nineteenth-century Plaster Casts: A Review of Historical Sources

Risdonne

Hubbard

Borges

et al. 2021

Studies in Conservation

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“…Plaster casting in the nineteenth century was extremely popular and remunerative [1,2]. Casts of decorative and architectural details, as well as replicas of important sculptural works of art, were traded nationally and internationally, aiming to inspire craftsmen and artists and to educate the public [1].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Victoria and Albert Museum Plaster Casts by the Nineteenth-Century Workshops of the Notre-Dame Cathedral: Scientific Analysis and Conservation

et al. 2022

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Four nineteenth-century casts of the decoration on the north side of the exterior of the apse of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris are held in the plaster casts collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The casts were manufactured by two different nineteenth-century workshops, one run by Jean Pouzadoux and the other by Auguste Malzieux. After an assessment of the condition of the casts, a scientific analysis allowed the characterization of the manufacturing materials and subsequent conservation treatments aimed at ensuring the stability of the casts and removing dirt and grime from the casts’ surfaces. Optical microscopy of the samples taken from the casts allowed the stratigraphy to be studied, which largely consisted of gypsum plaster and a coating layer (oxidized diterpenic resin or shellac) containing silicon and aluminium partially diffused in the porous substrate. These materials were identified by a range of techniques, including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The conservation works returned stability to the panels for redisplay in the galleries and achieved a closer comparative study between the two workshops. The two sets of panels showed numerous differences in manufacturing processes that corresponded to their observed deterioration.

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“…Donna Kurtz (2000a), for example, has examined the acquisition and use of Oxford's plaster casts, including their relationship with the rise of classical archaeology as an academic discipline at the university. Publications by other contemporary scholars similarly examine the casts of one institution: Mary Beard (1993 and 2012) on Cambridge; Malcolm Baker (2007 [1982]) and Diane Bilbey and Holly Trusted (2010) on the V&A; John Kenworthy-Browne (2006) and Kate Nichols (2015) on the Crystal Palace; and Ian Jenkins (1990, 1991 and 1992) on the British Museum.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Casting a New Canon: Collecting and Treating Casts of Greek and Roman Sculpture, 1850–1939

Payne

2019

Camb. class. j.

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From the mid-nineteenth century, it became de rigueur for Classics Departments to acquire casts of Greek and Roman sculpture to form reference and experimental collections. Recent scholarship has revived such casts, investigating their role as instruments of teaching and research, and their wavering popularity. This paper further examines the aims of those responsible for collecting casts, and discusses how these objectives influenced their materiality and treatment, as well as showing how the de facto creation of a new canon of casts through their repetition across the collections of different institutions contributed to the decline in their perceived importance.

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“The Question of Casts” – Collecting and Later Reassessment of the Cast Collections at South Kensington

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

Materials and Techniques for the Coating of Nineteenth-century Plaster Casts: A Review of Historical Sources

Materials and Techniques for the Coating of Nineteenth-century Plaster Casts: A Review of Historical Sources

The Victoria and Albert Museum Plaster Casts by the Nineteenth-Century Workshops of the Notre-Dame Cathedral: Scientific Analysis and Conservation

Casting a New Canon: Collecting and Treating Casts of Greek and Roman Sculpture, 1850–1939

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