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Plaster Casts

  • PC
  • Collection
  • 19th century-20th century

Collection of plaster casts comprising human figures, architectural fragments, plaster friezes, plaster reliefs, marble reliefs, tondos and busts.

Casts were used as an important teaching aid by the School, from the late 19th century onwards. The casts are generally based on classical statuary and were originally sourced from Greek, Roman and later Italian and medieval periods. Whilst not totally unique (most art schools in the UK and across Europe owned their own collections, purchased from established suppliers in London, Paris etc.), their continued existence within their original setting gives them an added significance. Importantly, the Glasgow School of Art's photographic archive contains many period images of how these casts have been used by staff and students since they were first introduced.

The majority of GSA's plaster cast collection was located in the School's Mackintosh Building at the time of a fire in the building on 23rd May 2014. As a result the majority of the collection suffered damage, of varying degrees, and all casts were subsequently surveyed by a conservator. Six casts were lost in the fire and eleven larger casts have undergone remedial conservation in 2016-17. The majority of the remaining casts have undergone cleaning before being repositioned around GSA's campus during 2019.

*Not available / given

Plaster cast of Corinthian capital with stylised acanthus

  • PC/139
  • Item
  • Mid 19th century-early 20th century

    • Part of Plaster Casts

The Corinthian order is the most richly carved of all the orders. According to the architectural historian Vitruvius, the column was created by the sculptor Callimachus, probably an Athenian, who drew acanthus leaves growing around a votive basket. Annotated "R. 24D".

*Not available / given

Plaster cast of spandrel

Plaster cast of spandrel

  • PC/152
  • Item
  • Mid 19th century-early 20th century

    • Part of Plaster Casts

Original: Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey, London, UK.

*Not available / given

Plaster cast of section of architrave with vines and eagle in clipeus

  • PC/159
  • Item
  • Mid 19th century-early 20th century

    • Part of Plaster Casts

Original: Lorenzo Ghiberti, 1452. Bronze. Gates of Paradise, Baptistry di San Giovanni, Florence, Italy. Currently in the collection of the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence, Italy. In 2019, this item was conserved and now includes a central fragment, which was originally catalogued as a separate cast (PC/187).

*Not available / given

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