DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21832#0096
Wojciech Marcinkowski, Tomasz Zaucha
An outline of the history of the collection of plaster casts
at the National Museum in Krakow
Since its inception in 1879, the National Museum in Krakow has collected not only
works of representational art (paintings, prints, sculptures) but also objects illustrat-
ing the history of Polish architecture. Three collections have developed as a result:
architectural designs and documentation, architectural sculpture, and plaster casts
of architectural details. The first of the collections is in the Department of Prints,
Drawings and Watercolours, and is fairly well-known. Only the most inquisitive
researchers know about the other two.
The first exhibits of the collection of plaster casts were received by the museum
already in 1884, a year before the acquisition of the first stone originals.1 Both of these
sets - plaster casts and stone originals - were presented together in from the very
beginning in the Cloth Hall, and in the Town Hall Tower as well. Indeed, plaster
casts were considered as essential for the continuity of the narrative of art history
in Poland. They were supplemental to the collection of stone sculpture and stood
for the originals that had to remain on site. Władysław Łuszczkiewicz, the first
director of the National Museum wrote: "A plaster cast allows for peaceful and com-
prehensive examination of a sculpture and comparisons with other ones in the col-
lection, which a photograph or a brief confrontation with the original will not easily
permit."2 According to the first Draft Statute of the National Museum dating from
1881, Department iv, generally dubbed "Antiquities", would hold "casts of monuments
scattered around Poland". The difference between Antiquities and other departments
was that "even damaged works of art" were acceptable for the former and they did not
have to "look excellent" on the condition that "they actually belonged to histori-
cal personages or were reminiscent of historical moments". Similarly, the second
Draft Statute (1883) provided that "the aim of the Museum will be to present art
in Poland through its entire historical and current development"; to achieve that goal
"the Museum will strive to acquire original artworks [... ] and if that proves impossible
it will use substitutes [... ] such as copies, casts, models and drawings". That idea
was taken over by the first Statute of the National Museum of 1885, and reiterated
in the second one in 1901.
In 1906, some 130 plaster casts were on show in the Cloth Hall gallery. They were
interspersed with original paintings and sculptures. Fig. 1 shows two sets of plaster
95
An outline of the history of the collection of plaster casts
at the National Museum in Krakow
Since its inception in 1879, the National Museum in Krakow has collected not only
works of representational art (paintings, prints, sculptures) but also objects illustrat-
ing the history of Polish architecture. Three collections have developed as a result:
architectural designs and documentation, architectural sculpture, and plaster casts
of architectural details. The first of the collections is in the Department of Prints,
Drawings and Watercolours, and is fairly well-known. Only the most inquisitive
researchers know about the other two.
The first exhibits of the collection of plaster casts were received by the museum
already in 1884, a year before the acquisition of the first stone originals.1 Both of these
sets - plaster casts and stone originals - were presented together in from the very
beginning in the Cloth Hall, and in the Town Hall Tower as well. Indeed, plaster
casts were considered as essential for the continuity of the narrative of art history
in Poland. They were supplemental to the collection of stone sculpture and stood
for the originals that had to remain on site. Władysław Łuszczkiewicz, the first
director of the National Museum wrote: "A plaster cast allows for peaceful and com-
prehensive examination of a sculpture and comparisons with other ones in the col-
lection, which a photograph or a brief confrontation with the original will not easily
permit."2 According to the first Draft Statute of the National Museum dating from
1881, Department iv, generally dubbed "Antiquities", would hold "casts of monuments
scattered around Poland". The difference between Antiquities and other departments
was that "even damaged works of art" were acceptable for the former and they did not
have to "look excellent" on the condition that "they actually belonged to histori-
cal personages or were reminiscent of historical moments". Similarly, the second
Draft Statute (1883) provided that "the aim of the Museum will be to present art
in Poland through its entire historical and current development"; to achieve that goal
"the Museum will strive to acquire original artworks [... ] and if that proves impossible
it will use substitutes [... ] such as copies, casts, models and drawings". That idea
was taken over by the first Statute of the National Museum of 1885, and reiterated
in the second one in 1901.
In 1906, some 130 plaster casts were on show in the Cloth Hall gallery. They were
interspersed with original paintings and sculptures. Fig. 1 shows two sets of plaster
95