I was only a little surprised to find plaster copies of two Classical statues in a prestigious
European museum, having previously encountered them at the Victoria and Albert in London.
It was quite the thing to do in the mid to late 19th Century so as to bring such work to the
masses who could not afford to travel to Rome or Paris to see the originals. Above
is a version of the Discobolus and below is Silenus with the infant Bacchus.
- Konst för massorna -
ReplyDeletePlaster casts are overlooked in their importance in bringing sculptural art to the public. Before collections of classical sculpture were only viewed by the few in Royal and private collections. Enlightened royals finally realized the joy of sharing their art collections with the public. The plaster collections of Munich and Berlin in Germany and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford England are outstanding.