The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-12-05
OBTAINING PLASTER casrs.
How Repiieas or Famons Pieces or sfat-
uary Are Supplied the Muscum..

We get our plaster casts of cele.
Drated statues and other art works
from the great IN useums Of the world
Ia Rome, Berlin. Paris and london !
said the curator of the Corcorap cal.
lery TO n Washington Star reporier.
I'm those great Institutions
not more than half dozen In number
--are gathered practicable all of the
important original antiques IN exist
ence. The only way IN which II Il
possible to secure reproductions of
such priceless relies IS TO obtain per-
mission from the authorities IN charve
OF the museums to take casts. NOT
always Is such liberty easy TO secure.
lou must remember that art works Of
the sort are absolutely irrepaceable.
ana, inasmuch as there Is always some
danger incidental TO tile making Of
casts, no matter how carefully the
thing Is done, yon will readily UNDER
stand how II Is that Reluctance is ant
to be felt IN allowing the thing to be
done. Not infrcquently 1t has hap
peneu that the taking of single cast
was permitted. but a repetition OF the
process refused. simply because IL was
not shought desirable TO take any more
chances There would be no object In
taxing second east were il not that n
mold wears out after IA while aud will
not fepfoduee the original satisfaction
fiiy. IL Is fact that nearly all OF the
casts used ~ art schools for drawing
from and such purposes are casts mads
from casts and not from orioinals
Casts exhibited in galleries. however
ought always TO be iirst-hand. becanse
the secondhand ones lack the finest
sculptured outline"
how do YOU procure the castspr
we send to firms In the citiee 7
have mentioned. which regularly make
business of supplying things of the
sort, having arrangements of conf
dence with the great museums. IL n
- n statue from the British Museum
that we want a replica OF we are
obiiSed TO send TO a dealer named
brecciani. who Is the only person per
mitted 10 make casts OF art objects In
that institution. Breeeiani aud the
other dealers in this line of business
pupiish regular annual catalogues
winch they send around to art galleries
ana merchants everywhere price lists
accompanying. According to their
schedules. a bust of Caesar Is worth
Sioo "A fragment of an ancient frieze
the same amount reproduetion ~
the celebrated Disk Thrower' S37 !,
eafaytld $50. aud whole harpy tomb
Slo. The last, of course. IS n partie-
niariy elaborate piece. When we want
ulthing In the way of east we send
on an order, just as for any other kind
OF merchandise. The making Of !
cast from a statue is an exceedingly
difficult affair. For the head aud face
alone fifty or sixty pieces are required
TO make the mold; the ear will take
Twelve pieces. Work is begun. saw,
by placing one scrap Of moist plaster
Oh paris over n small section Of the
lace, taking care not 30 cover any
more surface than TIE plaster when
hardened can readily be Withdrawn
from without breaking. When this
piece has become hard il is permitted |
10 remain sticking to the statue. while |
another scrap of plaster is applied 10 |
in adjoining section of surface. In i
-his way the task slowly progresses |
lntil the entire statue is covered with /
he hard plaster. the bits being sepa- |
rated from each other by sort of |
'hellac on their edges, which prevents
mem from sliS NJ together After 1
-hls has been aecomulished il only
TO remove the pieces of plas- |
er which fit together, into the shape
u the desired mold. Probably the
inest collection of antique sculpture
n existence IS in Rome. The drawing
books sold for children are designed |
~ artists of more or less merit and
published by the great siationers.