Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-14
OLD STATUES IN PLASTER.
How the COrcOran and Other Art Gal
leries are Supplied With Casts.

I'VE get our plaster casts of celebrated
statues and other art works from the great
museums Of the world, in Rome, Berlin, Paris
and London" said the curator of the Cor
coran Gallery to STAR reporter. I'm those
great institutions-perhap not more than half
dozen in lumber-are gathered practically
all of the important original antiques in exist
ence. The only way in which it is possible to
secure reproductions of such priceless relics is
to obtain permission from the authorities in
charge Of the museums to take casts Not
always is such a liberty easy to secure.
You must remember that art works Of
the sort are absolutely irreplaceable,
and inasmuch as there is always some danger
incidental to the making of casts, no matter
how carefully the thing is done, you will read
lily understand how it Is that reluctance is apt
to be felt In allowing the thing to be DONE Not
infrequently it has happened that the taking of
a single cast was permitted, but repetition of
the process refused simply because it was not
thought desirable to take any more chances
There would be no object in taking a second
cast were 1t not that mold wears out after
awhile and will not reproduce the original sat-
lsfac torily any longer. 1t is fact that nearly
all of the casts used in art schools for drawing
from and such purposes are casts made from
casts and not from originals. Casts exhibited
IN galleries, however. ought always to be first
hand. because the secondhand ones lack the
finest sculptured outline"
HOW CASTS ARE PROCURED.
How do you procure the casts?''
1--WE send to firms in the cities have men,
toned which regularly make a business of sup
plying things of the sort, having arrangements
of confidence with the great museums If it is
a statue from the British Museum that we want
replica of We are obliged to send to a dealer
named Brecciani. who is the only person per-
mitted to make casts of art objects in that in
stltution. Brecciani and the other dealers in
this line OF business publish regular annual
catalogues, which they send around to art gal
lerles and merchants everywhere, price lists
accompanying. According to their schedules
bust OF Caesar is worth 81. So a fragment of
an ancient frieze the same amount,
reproduction of the celebrated Disk Thrower'
s3i' caryatld $50 and whole harpy
tomb S45. The last, of course, is
particularly elaborate piece. When
we want anything in the way of "a cast 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 and face alone fifty or sixty pieces are
required to make the mold; the ear will very
likely take twelve pieces. Work is begun say,
by placing one scrap of moist plaster of Paris
over small section of the face, taking care not
to cover any more surface than the plaster
when hardened can readily be withdrawn from
without breaking. When this piece has become
hard it is permitted to remain sticking to the
statue, while another scrap of plaster is applied
to an adjoining section of surface. In this wav
the task slowly progresses until the entire
statue is covered with the hard plaster, the bits
being separated from each other by sort of
shellac ON their edges, which prevents them
from sticking together. After this has been
accomplished 1t only remains to remove the
pieces OF plaster, which fit together, into the
shape OF the desired mold. Probably the finest
collection OF antique sculpture in existence is
in Rome. The drawing books sold for children
are designed by artists of more or less merit
and published by the great statlonersn